T2^ 
v5~5 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 


'Mil   Y     1U-XKONKI)     TO     HIM     WITH     ALL    THEIR     \VHITK     MAGIC, 

AND  UK  SAID  Ai.orn:  "I  come,  I  come!'" 


OUT    OF   THE 
WRECK   I   RISE 

BY 

BEATRICE  HARRADEN 

AUTHOR   OF  "SHIPS  THAT  PASS  IN  THE   NIGHT,"   ETC. 


"Out  of  the  Wreck  I  Rise  — past 
Zeus,    to    the    Potency    o'er    him " 
"IxioN,"  ROBERT  BROWNING 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1912,  by 
FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 


All  rights  reserved,  including  that  of  translation  into  foreign 
languages,  including  the  Scandinavian 


September,  igi2 


PART  I 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 


PART  I 


CHAPTER  I 

A  BRIAN  STEELE  sat  in  his  office  in  Brick 
•*  *•  Court  thinking.  He  had  during  the  past 
two  weeks  received  two  letters  which  had  caused 
him  much  annoyance  and  anxiety.  A  third  one, 
which  had  just  come  to  hand,  added  to  his  dis- 
turbance. He  took  them  all  now  from  a  drawer, 
and  read  them  through,  consecutively.  They  ran 
thus :  — 

"  DEAR  STEELE, —  With  reference  to  the  tour 
of  The  Invaders,  how  many  performances  did  we 
play  in  Birmingham?  —  Yours  faithfully, 

"  R.  S.  HAILSHAM." 

"  DEAR  STEELE, —  You  say  six  performances  in 
Birmingham.  I  have,  however,  been  in  com- 
munication with  the  manager  of  the  *  Royalty,' 
who  says  we  played  seven.  Can  you  explain 
this?  —  Yours  faithfully,  R.  S.  HAILSHAM." 

i 


2         OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  DEAR  STEELE, —  Your  answer  is  not  satisfac- 
tory. You  will  hear  further  from  me  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  royalties  on  my  plays.  I  am  not 
satisfied  with  my  returns,  and  am  investigating 
the  matter  for  myself. —  Yours  faithfully, 

"  R.  S.  HAILSHAM." 

Adrian  Steele  frowned  as  he  restored  the  letters 
to  the  drawer,  and  locked  it.  He  leaned  back 
in  his  chair  and  faced  the  prospect  opened  out 
by  those  few  simple  sentences  in  the  third 
letter. 

"Yes,"  he  said  aloud;  "this  means  my  even- 
tual humiliation,  unless  I  am  able  to  handle  this 
man  adroitly,  and  thus  stem  the  tide  of  further 
investigations.  If  I  remember  rightly,  I  calcula- 
ted that,  all  told,  I've  kept  back  about  £15,000 
from  John  Noble,  £6,000  from  Sanford,  from 
Cecil  certainly  £4,000,  and  from  this  new  fellow 
Hailsham  about  £1,700.  Inappreciable  amounts 
from  lesser  fry,  too.  Total,  about  £28,000. 
A  fortune.  And  well  earned,  too,  over  and 
above  my  commission." 

He  rose  impatiently,  and  walked  up  and  down 
his  luxurious  room. 

"  Well  earned,  I  repeat  and  maintain  it,"  he 
said,  as  though  to  an  accuser.  '  Without  me, 
those  men  would  never  have  come  into  their  own. 
And  if  I  chose  to  take  my  full  payment  for 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE        3 

services,  partly  in  percentage  and  partly  in  —  in 
this  way,  it  was  my  own  affair." 

He  added  after  a  pause,  by  way  of  explana- 
tion: "  I  mean  that,  mentally,  I  was  more  than 
justified.  Morally,  I  of  course  admit  that  I  have 
no  case." 

He  stood  before  a  picture  of  the  snow  peaks  of 
the  Bernese  Oberland,  and  seemed  for  the  mo- 
ment spellbound  by  the  magic  of  the  mountains 
which  he  dearly  loved. 

"  Well,  whatever  happens,  I  must  see  the 
mountains  once  more,"  he  said,  half  to  himself. 

His  frail  and  small  frame  drooped;  his  arms 
hung  listlessly;  his  chest  shrank  away;  his  clever 
and  keen  face  became  curiously  passive.  But 
suddenly,  with  a  determined  gesture,  he  gathered 
himself  together,  and  an  almost  boyish  smile 
transformed  his  gloom  of  countenance  into  an 
amazing  radiance.  It  was  obvious  that  this  man 
was  a  born  fighter,  delighting  in  the  prospect  of 
a  fray. 

"  And  after  all,"  he  said  aloud,  "  life  was  get- 
ting just  a  little  dull.  Prosperity  is  dull  if  taken 
in  continuous  overdoses.  Dull  and  deadening. 
One  sees  that  all  round.  One  needs  crises. 
Well,  this  is  crisis." 

At  that  moment  his  telephone  bell  rang.  He 
answered  the  summons. 

"Is  that  you,  Steele?"  the  voice  said.     "It's 


4         OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

I,  Noble.  I  want  particularly  to  see  you  about 
something.  Coming  round  to  your  office  to-mor- 
row morning.  Shall  you  be  in  at  twelve  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  Adrian  Steele  answered.  "  But  why 
trouble  to  come  here?  I'll  come  to  your  house 
as  usual.  Twelve  o'clock  sharp." 

"  No,"  the  voice  said.  "  Prefer  to  come  to 
you  on  this  occasion.  Twelve  o'clock.  Good- 
by." 

" Prefer  to  come  to  you  on  this  occasion" 
Adrian  Steele  repeated  as  he  went  to  his  desk. 
"  Now  that's  quite  unusual.  I've  never  known 
Noble  to  say  that  before.  Has  some  rumor 
reached  him?  Has  Hailsham  been  putting  him 
on  the  track?" 

For  a  long  time  he  sat  pondering  over  the 
whole  matter,  trying  to  find  some  solution  to  the 
problem  presented  to  him,  and  tracing  out,  for 
his  own  guidance,  the  successive  steps  of  subter- 
fuge and  deception  which  had  led  up  to  this  crisis 
in  his  affairs.  How  was  he  to  meet  it?  What 
means  should  he  take  of  throwing  dust  in  the 
eyes  of  Noble,  Sanford,  and  Cecil?  How  could 
he  satisfy  this  upstart  Hailsham  that  the  shortage 
of  payment  to  which  he  referred,  was  due  merely 
to  this  cause  or  that  cause,  and  that  the  deficit 
was  only  temporary?  He  racked  his  brain  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  the  mental  gymnastics.  Diffi- 
culties had  always  stimulated  him.  He  was 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE        5 

stimulated  now.  But  it  struck  him  that  he 
needed  advice.  It  was  not  that  he  felt  himself 
bereft  of  ideas.  Far  from  that.  It  was  merely 
that  he  believed  an  outside  opinion,  from  some 
one  of  a  different  mental  outlook,  might  have  a 
useful  modifying  influence  on  his  intellectual  im- 
pulses and  methods. 

To  what  friend  should  he  turn?  In  other  cir- 
cumstances he  would  have  submitted  the  matter 
to  Noble.  Noble,  in  this  instance,  was  of  course 
unavailable.  To  a  lawyer  friend?  No,  inad- 
visable, and  probably  quite  futile.  To  Grace,  his 
wife?  No,  certainly  not  to  her.  The  last  per- 
son in  the  world  whom  he  could  profitably  con- 
sult. Her  code  of  honor  would  recognize  no 
differentiations  of  wrong-doing,  and  her  mind 
would  be  incapable  of  offering  any  wise  and  useful 
suggestions. 

His  thoughts  traveled  back  to  friends  of  former 
days.  He  recalled  Nell  Linstead,  now  Mrs.  Sil- 
berthwaite.  She  would  have  understood:  not  be- 
cause her  code  of  honor  was  fundamentally  less 
strict  than  his  wife's,  but  because  she,  as  he  well 
knew,  took  a  large  view  of  life;  and  although  she 
would  grieve  over  his  conduct,  yet  she  would 
realize  that  the  circumstances  had  offered  great 
opportunity  to  the  temptations  of  his  tempera- 
ment, and  she  would  judge  him  accordingly,  and 
not  turn  from  him  in  horror  and  alarm.  And 


6        OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Tamar  Scott  would  have  understood,  for  the  sim- 
ple reason  that  her  mind  ran  on  the  same  lines  as 
his  own. 

A  sudden  craving  came  over  him  to  see  them 
both.  It  was  years  since  he  had  spoken  to  either 
of  them.  They  belonged  to  that  period  of  his  life 
when,  in  order  to  acquire  a  settled  habit  of  mental 
ascendancy,  he  was  deliberately  practicing  mastery 
over  any  one  with  whom  he  chanced  to  come  in 
contact.  Nell  Linstead  and  Tamar  Scott  had 
been  unfamiliar  types  to  him,  and  he  had  taken 
special  interest  in  watching  each  of  them,  so  dif- 
ferent from  the  other,  pass  gradually  under  the 
spell  of  his  personality.  He  wearied,  first  of 
Nell,  and  then  of  Tamar,  and  passed  on  callously 
to  another  phase  in  his  complex  life.  Physically 
he  had  been  blameless  in  his  relations  with  them; 
but  he  knew  that  psychically  he  had  been  guilty. 
He  had  wrought  havoc  in  their  minds,  emotions, 
and  passions.  He  remembered  Nell's  last  words 
to  him:  "But  I  shall  recover  my  pride,  my  in- 
dependence of  spirit,  my  liberty  of  mind,  my  joy 
in  life  —  all  this  shall  come  back  to  me  and  in  full 
measure  —  in  spite  of  you." 

He  heard  her  voice;  he  saw  her  noble  presence; 
he  remembered  her  fine  idealism;  he  renewed  his 
remorse  of  having  tried  to  injure  her  in  any  way 
whatsoever;  he  longed  to  ask  her  pardon,  even 
at  the  eleventh  hour.  Yes,  he  would  go  and  see 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE        7 

her,  now,  this  very  moment,  whilst  the  mood  was 
on  him. 

Would  she  refuse  to  receive  him  ?  No,  Tamar 
might;  but  Nell,  no.  He  decided  to  go  to  Nell. 
He  had  more  or  less  followed  her  career.  She 
had  for  some  long  time  been  devoting  herself  to 
the  problems  of  the  poor,  and  had,  with  others, 
helped  to  found  the  Society  for  the  Abolition  of 
Sweated  Labor.  He  knew  that  she  was  honorary 
secretary  of  this  Society,  and  indeed  the  heart  and 
brain  of  the  whole  movement.  He  also  knew 
that  she  had  married  Rupert  Silberthwaite,  a  dis- 
tinguished engineer,  and  that  she  had  been  wid- 
owed two  or  three  years  after  her  marriage;  and 
he  had  heard  that  she  was  using  her  independent 
means  entirely  for  this  chosen  work  of  her  life, 
and  by  her  enthusiasm  and  determination  had  suc- 
ceeded in  making  the  Society  into  a  powerful 
body,  which  was  gradually  gaining  support  in  all 
directions.  So  that  he  did  not  feel  that  he  was 
going  to  a  friend  of  former  days  whose  inter- 
vening life  had  been  spent  in  separating  scenes 
and  conditions.  Nell  had  always  been  interested 
in  public  service,  and  he  himself  had  directed  her 
attention  to  some  of  the  problems.  A  sense  of 
continuity  rather  than  of  renewal,  therefore,  stole 
over  him  as  he  looked  up  the  address  of  the  of- 
fices and  started  off  without  delay  to  Arundel 
Street,  Strand. 


8         OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

When  he  entered  the  enquiry  office,  his  mind 
had  gone  back,  without  the  least  difficulty,  to 
twelve  years  ago.  The  actual  surroundings  were 
strange  to  him,  it  is  true ;  but  the  atmosphere  was 
familiar,  and  a  bright  flash  of  memory  lit  up  his 
face. 

A  cheerful,  brisk  young  woman,  distinctly  of 
the  Suffragette  type,  attended  to  him  with  a  pleas- 
ant manner  of  independence  which  had  nothing 
of  aggressiveness  in  it. 

"Can  I  see  Mrs.  Silberthwaite?  "  he  asked, 
smiling  at  her  with  one  of  his  curiously  charming 
quiet  smiles. 

"  I  am  so  sorry,"  she  answered.  "  She  has  just 
sent  in  the  message  that  she  did  not  wish  to  be 
disturbed  for  two  or  three  hours.  She  has  had 
a  very  hard  day.  We  are  up  to  our  eyes  in  work 
here.  Could  I  perhaps  make  an  appointment  for 
you?" 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  No,"  he  said  quietly.  "  I  will  sit  here  and 
wait  for  two  or  three  hours." 

His  appearance  and  his  persistence  impressed 
little  Joan  Neville.  Instinct  told  her  that  this 
was  not  the  sort  of  man  to  be  kept  waiting,  and 
she  resolved  to  take  the  risk  of  sending  in  his 
card,  so  that  Mrs.  Silberthwaite  might  decide  for 
herself.  She  therefore  asked  for  his  card.  He 
took  out  a  blank  one,  on  which  he  wrote  in  a  neat, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE        9 

peculiar     handwriting     these      few     mysterious 
words :  — 

"  Looking  down  on  snow-white  plains  of  moun- 
tain mist  caught  with  purple  light.  L.  P." 

The  little  clerk  glanced  at  it  when  he  handed 
it  to  her,  glanced  at  him  and  decided  that  he  was 
mad,  and  that  she  must  not  leave  him  alone.  But 
she  showed  no  outer  sign  of  her  inner  conviction. 
She  merely  pressed  the  bell  and  gave  the  card 
with  her  instructions  to  another  girl  who  answered 
her  summons.  She  kept  a  sharp  little  Suffragette 
eye  on  her  lunatic,  and  was  prepared  to  use  "  ju- 
jitsu  "  if  he  made  a  sudden  attack  on  her.  Noth- 
ing of  the  sort,  however,  happened.  He  was  im- 
mediately fetched  to  see  Mrs.  Silberthwaite,  and 
Joan  Neville  said  to  herself,  smiling  over  her 
work: 

"  A-ha !  A  good  thing  I  treated  '  Looking 
down  on  snow-white  plains,  etc.,'  in  a  suitable 
manner!  " 

Meanwhile  the  door  closed  on  Adrian  Steele, 
and  he  found  himself  alone  with  Nell  Silber- 
thwaite. 

"  Nell,"  he  said  simply,  and  without  any  pre- 
liminaries, "  I  had  a  great  heart-hunger  to  see 
you." 

She  stood  looking  at  him,  holding  the  card  in 
her  hand.  She  was  evidently  very  much  moved. 


io       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Sit  down,"  she  said  kindly,  and  he  sat  down 
in  silence. 

For  several  minutes  they  neither  spoke  nor 
moved.  It  was  twelve  years  since  they  had  met, 
and  they  were  busy  with  thoughts,  memories,  and 
all  those  conflicting  emotions,  harmonious  strains 
and  discordant  notes  stirred  up  by  the  past.  At 
last  she  opened  a  drawer  and  handed  him  some 
cigarettes,  and  she  herself  took  the  piece  of  em- 
broidery which  she  had  put  down  on  his  arrival, 
and  continued  to  work  on  a  large  pomegranate. 
He  watched  her  intently.  It  was  she  at  last  who 
broke  the  silence. 

"  I  had  a  curious  dream  about  you  last  night," 
she  said.  "  I  dreamed  you  had  climbed  a  steep 
mountain.  And  a  fearful  storm  came  and  cut  off 
your  retreat.  I  see  you  now  with  my  mind's  eye 
' —  a  little  stubborn,  self-contained  figure  —  in- 
accessible." 

He  made  no  comment  on  her  words. 

"  Nell,"  he  said,  after  another  spell  of  quiet, 
"  I  believe  I  have  come  to  ask  your  forgive- 
ness." 

She  glanced  at  him  with  a  humorous  little  look. 

"  It  isn't  like  your  former  self  to  ask  for  any 
one's  forgiveness,"  she  observed.  "  Either 
you've  changed  very  much,  Little  Playmate,  or 
else  you're  feeling  on  the  brink  of  the  grave.  I 
wonder  which  it  is  ?  " 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       n 

A  slight  smile  passed  over  his  face  at  the  sound 
of  his  old  name.  But  he  vouchsafed  no  answer, 
and  said  again  in  his  persistent  way  which  she 
remembered  so  well: 

"  I  believe  I  have  come  to  ask  for  your 
forgiveness." 

'  You  have  had  it  for  many  years,"  Nell  said 
gravely.  "  It  took  me  a  long  time  to  work  my- 
self free  from  hatred  and  bitterness,  but  at  last, 
thank  goodness,  I  came  out  on  the  other  side, 
born  anew  and  restored.  And  then  I  was  able 
to  thank  you  for  all  the  true  benefits  I  had  had 
from  you.  They  stood  out  clearly,  Adrian,  sep- 
arated definitely  from  the  injuries.  They  stand 
out  clearly  now." 

"  I  introduced  you  to  Meredith's  books,"  he 
remarked.  "  I  admit  that  was  a  great  deal  to  do 
for  you." 

"  Yes,"  she  said.     "  It  was  indeed." 

"  I  believe  I  saved  you  from  settling  down  into 
an  academic  prig,  out  of  touch  with  modern  con- 
ditions," he  ventured  teasingly. 

"  I  deny  that,  entirely,"  Nell  said  with  spirit. 

He  laughed  softly. 

u  I   knew   that  would   stir  you   up,"   he   said. 
'  Well,  let  that  pass.     You  are  evidently  not  one 
now." 

She  laughed  too,  in  spite  of  herself. 

'  You've   not   changed  much,    after   all,"   she 


12       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

said.  "  So  I  can  only  conclude  that  you  are  feel- 
ing on  the  brink  of  the  grave." 

"  May  I  take  the  liberty  of  asking  -why  you 
forgave  me  so  long  ago?  "  he  said.  "  It  was  like 
you,  I  admit.  I  always  knew  you  had  a  generous 
mind.  But  it  would  interest  me  to  see  where 
your  academic  brain  came  in." 

She  paused  for  a  moment. 

"  When  I  had  reached  the  haven  of  imper- 
sonality," she  said,  "  my  '  academic  brain  '  looked 
into  things  clearly  and  realized  that  you  probably 
could  not  help  yourself,  Adrian,  and  that  you  had 
been  born  with  a  consuming  hunger  for  power 
in  some  form,  and  with  an  extraordinary  talent 
for  subterfuge.  I  understood  better  the  tempta- 
tions arising  from  your  natural  mental  equipment. 
And  I  saw  that  the  weakness  in  my  character  had 
called  forth  the  wrong  strength  in  yours.  That's 
the  whole  thing  seen  in  its  proper  proportions 
after  the  passage  of  years." 

He  remained  silent,  but  an  expression  of  sud- 
den resolve  and  hopefulness  lit  up  his  face. 
Yes,  he  could  tell  her  his  position.  He  could 
lay  the  whole  matter  before  her,  and,  as  he  had 
anticipated,  she  would  understand.  Her  breadth 
of  view  alone  would  help  her  —  and  him. 

"  I'm  so  thankful  you  haven't  overreached 
yourself,  Adrian,"  she  added  impulsively.  "  I 
knew,  of  course,  that  you  were  bound  to  make  a 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       13 

position  for  yourself.  That  was  obvious.  Your 
cleverness  and  your  persistence  would  have  car- 
ried you  anywhere.  But  I  was  always  afraid  lest 
you  might  get  on  to  the  quicksands.  For  some 
mysterious  reason  which  I  could  never  fathom, 
in  spite  of  our  estrangement,  I  should  have  been 
woefully  distressed  if  you  had  gone  under." 

He  got  up  from  his  seat,  leaned  against  the 
mantelpiece,  and  stared  at  the  fire. 

"  I  have  gone  under,  Nell,"  he  said  at  last. 
"  That's  just  what  I  have  done.  I've  gone 
under." 

"  Don't  say  that,  don't  say  that,"  she  said  in 
a  voice  which  was  charged  with  real  pain. 

"  But  it's  the  truth,"  he  said  turning  to  her; 
and  when  he  saw  the  expression  of  concern  and 
kindness  on  her  face,  he  longed  to  tell  her 
everything.  Could  he  tell  her?  If  he  could  tell 
any  fine,  honorable  person,  he  could  tell  her,  be- 
cause she  was  great-souled  and  great-hearted. 
He  had  felt  that  years  ago,  and  he  felt  it  even 
more  strongly  now.  Life  and  experience  had 
widened  and  not  narrowed  her  vision.  This  was 
the  legend  written  clearly  on  Nell's  countenance 
for  any  one  to  read.  He  read  it  now.  Could 
he  tell  her?  Why  not?  It  would  be  such  a 
tremendous  relief  to  him  if  he  could  speak  out. 
Why  not?  He  wanted  from  her  neither  money, 
nor  sympathy,  nor  blame,  nor  condonation,  nor 


14       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

exoneration.  He  wanted  chiefly  to  give  way  to 
the  crying  necessity  of  his  mind,  and  put  it  in 
touch  with  hers.  Could  he  tell  her?  Could  he 
overcome  his  shame?  Could  he  conquer  his  nat- 
ural reticence?  He  had  never  given  his  confi- 
dence to  any  one.  His  reserve  was  part  and 
parcel  of  his  temperamental  deceitfulness.  All 
through  his  life,  if  he  could  have  spoken  to  peo- 
ple, he  could  have  broken  through  an  ever-thick- 
ening network  of  perfectly  unnecessary  deceit. 
He  struggled  now,  in  this  hour  of  his  great  mental 
need.  Standing  there  in  the  presence  of  one  in 
whom  he  wished  to  confide,  he  fought  a  pitched 
battle  with  his  reticence  —  and  was  defeated. 
No,  he  could  not  tell  her.  It  was  impossible. 
Nell,  who  guessed  at  the  conflict  within  him,  knew 
also  that  it  was  impossible. 

He  turned  away  from  her,  and  began  staring 
at  the  picture  of  the  snow  peaks  of  the  Bernese 
Oberland  hanging  over  the  mantelpiece.  He  had 
given  it  to  her  years  ago.  It  was  the  duplicate 
of  the  one  in  his  own  office. 

"  The  same  picture,"  he  said.  "  My  picture. 
So  you  kept  it,  Nell.  Yes,  we  always  loved  the 
mountains,  didn't  we?  Do  you  remember  when 
I  was  in  a  particularly  irritating  mood,  how  I 
used  to  annoy  you  by  quoting  those  words  from 
'Childe  Harold'?  — 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       15 

He  who  ascends  to  mountain  tops  shall  find 
Their  loftiest  peaks  most  wrapped  in  clouds  and  snow, 
He  who  surpasses  or  subdues  mankind, 
Must  look  down  on  the  hate  of  those  below. 
Though  high  above  the  sun  of  glory  glow, 
And  far  beneath  the  earth  and  ocean  spread, 
Round  him  are  icy  rocks,  and  loudly  blow 
Contending  tempests  on  his  naked  head.' " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered.  "  You  used  to  spoil  the 
mountain  peaks  for  me  at  such  times." 

"  That  was  only  because  of  your  weakness  of 
character,  Nell,"  he  remarked.  "  A  good,  a  very 
good  instance  of  your  weakness  of  character  call- 
ing out  the  wrong  strength  in  mine.  Your  own 
words,  you  observe." 

She  smiled  a  little.  It  was  exactly  like  him  to 
use  her  own  words  against  herself.  No,  he  had 
not  changed. 

He  read  her  thought  and  smiled  too. 

"  All  the  same,  I  have  changed,"  he  said  chal- 
lengingly.  "  Otherwise  I  could  never  have 
humbled  myself  to  ask  for  forgiveness.  And  I 
am  to  understand  that  I  have  it  absolutely  and 
imperishably?  " 

4  Yes,"  she  repeated,  "  absolutely  and  im- 
perishably. But  I  think  you  owe  it  to  me  to  ex- 
plain why  you  suddenly  come  after  twelve  years 
and  ask  for  it." 

1  You  always  used  to  scorn  explanations," 
he  said.  "  '  Explanation  spells  complication.' 


i6       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

That  was  one  of  your  learned  phrases.  I  recall 
it  well." 

She  did  not  appear  to  hear  him,  but  said 
gravely: 

"  Has  your  coming  anything  to  do  with  your 
going  under?  I  merely  borrow  your  own  expres- 
sion. Of  course,  I  don't  know  in  the  least  what 
you  mean.  But  I  beg  of  you  to  explain  to  me." 

Again  he  had  the  impulse  to  tell  her,  but  again 
his  innate  secretiveness  overcame  that  impulse. 

"  I  can  only  make  to  you  the  same  sort  of 
answers  which  the  poor  drunken  derelicts  make 
to  the  questions  of  the  magistrate,"  he  said. 
"  '  Have  you  any  explanation  to  offer?  '  asks  the 
magistrate.  '  No.'  *  Have  you  any  friends  in 
court  to  speak  for  you  ?  '  '  No.'  '  Have  you 
anything  at  all  to  say?'  *  No,  nothing  except 
that  I'm  sorry.'  Nothing  except  that  I'm  sorry, 
Nell" 

The  next  moment  he  had  gone. 


CHAPTER  II 

/TpHE  past,  which  we  vainly  believe  we  throw 
•*•  off,  held  Nell  in  bondage.  This  man, 
Adrian  Steele,  had  come  into  her  life  years  ago, 
wrecked  her  outlook,  checked  her  enthusiasms, 
tampered  with  her  ideals,  and  taken  the  joy  out 
of  the  heart  of  things  and  the  very  delight  out 
of  nature.  But,  as  she  had  told  him,  she  could 
look  back  now  and  realize  with  a  fair-mindedness 
born  only  of  lapse  of  time,  how  in  other  ways  he 
had  distinctly  ministered  to  her.  He  had  kindled 
her  intellectuality  to  a  livelier  flame;  he  had  eased 
the  tension  of  her  culture;  he  had  indicated 
modern  methods  of  expression  and  action  to  her. 
Under  his  influence  her  powers  of  observation  had 
ripened,  her  judgment  had  widened,  her  interests 
had  expanded.  His  very  persistence  of  character, 
the  driving  force  in  him,  the  dogged  stubborn- 
ness of  his  nature  had  produced  a  healthy  and 
lasting  effect  on  her  own  natural  impatience. 
Yes,  she  knew  now  that  she  owed  a  great  deal 
to  him.  If  he  were  glad  to  have  asked  for  her 
forgiveness,  she  was  equally  glad  to  have  had 
the  chance  of  paying  him  a  tribute  of  gratitude. 
But  why  had  he  come  after  all  these  years  ?  Why 


1 8       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

should  he  suddenly  ask  for  forgiveness?  What 
did  he  mean  by  saying  that  he  had  '  gone  under  '  ? 
Was  it  possible  that  he  had  overreached  himself? 
Was  he  in  some  difficulty  and  had  he  been  led 
by  instinct  to  seek  out  an  old  friend?  She  was 
uneasy  about  him.  He  had  brought  his  curious 
charm  with  him  out  of  the  past,  and  she  felt 
once  more  a  vague  concern  and  responsibility  for 
his  welfare.  She  wrestled  with  it. 

"  This  is  quite  absurd,"  he  said,  remonstrating 
with  herself. 

She  gathered  herself  together  and  began  writ- 
ing down  the  headings  of  a  speech  she  was  to 
make  the  next  day  on  Sweated  Industries.  But 
she  shook  her  head.  She  could  not  get  on  with 
her  subject.  That  little  figure  from  the  past 
haunted  her,  and  conjured  up  for  her  memories, 
anxieties  and  apprehensions  which  were  too  in- 
sistent to  be  carelessly  disregarded.  She  was 
seized  with  a  longing  to  know  more  about  his 
present  life  and  circumstances.  She  knew  that 
he  had  made  a  splendid  career  for  himself  as  a 
dramatic  agent,  and  that  he  took  charge  of  the 
affairs  of  many  of  the  leading  dramatic  authors 
of  the  day.  She  knew  where  his  offices  were  in 
Brick  Court.  She  had  heard  that  he  was  mar- 
ried, and  that  he  had  a  little  daughter.  But  these 
were  the  only  facts  which  had  strayed  to  her,  and 
merely  by  chance.  For  when  he  had  tired  of  his 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       19 

influence  over  her,  and  had  deliberately  impelled 
her  to  put  an  end  to  their  comradeship,  which  to 
him  apparently  had  been  a  mere  passing  friend- 
ship and  to  her  a  real  and  serious  affair  of  the 
heart,  Nell,  in  her  wounded  pride,  had  separated 
herself  permanently  from  several  people,  known 
to  them  both,  in  whom  she  was  deeply  interested. 
Tamar  Scott  was  one  of  them.  Nell  had  always 
been  jealous  of  Adrian  Steele's  intimacy  with 
Tamar,  and  Tamar  had  always  been  jealous  of 
his  admiration  for  Nell.  Yet  they  had  certainly 
liked  each  other,  and  in  other  circumstances  would 
probably  have  become  firm  friends. 

The  memory  of  her  suddenly  took  possession 
of  Nell.  She  longed  to  see  her.  She  resolved 
to  go  at  once  to  Tamar  and  risk  a  rude  reception. 
She  smiled  as  she  recalled  the  first  occasion  on 
which  Adrian  had  taken  her  to  the  antique  jewel- 
ry shop  in  Dean  Street.  Tamar,  sulky  and 
peculiar,  and  yet  with  a  subtle,  indefinable  at- 
tractiveness of  her  own,  had  received  them  and 
given  them  tea  in  an  inner  room  where  she  kept 
all  her  choicest  treasures,  and  where  she  mended 
rare  and  delicate  bits  of  china,  and  altered  and 
"  faked  "  antique  jewels  of  many  sorts.  Nell  saw 
now  the  half-reluctant  amiability  which  she  con- 
ceded to  Adrian  Steele,  and  the  almost  rude  for- 
bearance which  she  vouchsafed  to  herself.  She 
heard  Adrian's  voice  saying: 


20      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Don't  take  any  notice  of  her  manners.  Ta- 
mar  keeps  all  her  manners  for  minerals.  You 
should  see  her,  for  instance,  in  the  Jermyn  Street 
Museum,  worshiping  emeralds  in  their  matrix 
and  rubies  in  the  rough.  You  wouldn't  know 
her.  Manners  for  minerals  only.  No  one  else 
need  apply." 

Yes,  she  would  go  to  Tamar.  Even  if  Tamar 
knew  nothing  about  him  now,  it  would  at  least 
be  some  consolation  to  speak  to  some  one  who, 
even  as  herself,  had  been  intimate  with  him  in 
the  past.  She  locked  her  desk,  left  instructions 
in  the  outer  office,  and  hurried  off  in  an  absent- 
minded  way.  The  little  Suffragette  clerk  closed 
one  bright  eye  and  said  to  herself: 

"  Never  knew  Mrs.  Silberthwaite  to  go  home 
so  early.  Something  to  do  with  '  Looking  down 
on  snow-white  plains,'  I  expect!" 

Meanwhile  Nell  found  herself  outside  Tamar's 
shop,  in  which  she  had  not  set  foot  for  many 
years.  She  had  passed  it  scores  of  times,  but  had 
never  once  encountered  Tamar  face  to  face,  al- 
though she  had  often  seen  her  in  the  distance,  and 
knew  that  she  was  still  carrying  on  her  business 
in  the  same  place.  And  there  was  her  name, 
shabbily  painted  as  ever,  "  T.  Scott,  dealer  in 
antique  jewelry t  etc."  Nell  looked  at  the  win- 
dow for  a  few  moments,  and  then  opened  the 
door  and  went  in  almost  hesitatingly.  A  very 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       21 

old  woman,  who  was  sitting  in  a  corner  behind 
the  counter,  got  up  reluctantly,  but  did  not  leave 
off  knitting. 

"  Well?  "  she  asked  in  an  uncompromising  tone 
of  voice. 

"  Can  I  see  Miss  Scott?  "  Nell  asked. 

"  She  said  she  didn't  want  to  buy  anything  of 
any  one  to-day,"  the  old  woman  answered  gruffly. 

"  But  I'm  not  wanting  to  sell  anything,"  Nell 
replied  good-naturedly.  "  I  wish  to  see  Miss 
Scott  on  a  private  matter." 

The  old  woman,  having  taken  a  keen  look  at 
Nell,  touched  a  bell  and  retreated  to  her  corner. 
After  a  rather  long  delay,  Tamar  Scott  came 
dreamily  into  the  shop.  When  she  saw  Nell 
Silberthwaite  she  scanned  her  without  making  any 
sign  of  recognition  or  any  attempt  at  courtesy. 

"  Tamar,  you  don't  remember  me,"  Nell  said. 

'  Yes,  I  do,"  Tamar  answered  sulkily,  and  she 
bent  over  the  counter,  fiddled  with  a  little  Chelsea 
figure  which  stood  there,  and  remained  silent. 
She  appeared  to  be  thinking,  and  in  the  process 
of  thinking  had  evidently  forgotten  her  visitor. 
Suddenly  she  turned  to  the  old  woman  and  dis- 
missed her  with  a  quiet  but  not  an  unfriendly 
gesture. 

"What  is  it  you  want?"  she  asked  of  Nell 
brusquely.  "  I  am  busy.  I  have  no  time  for 
visitors." 


22      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Nell  smiled.  She  again  heard  Adrian's  voice 
saying : 

"  Don't  take  any  notice  of  Tamar.  She  keeps 
all  her  manners  for  minerals.  No  one  else  need 
apply."  Certainly  her  manners  now  were  even 
more  uncompromising  than  before. 

"What  is  it  you  want?"  Tamar  repeated. 
"  Please  be  quick  and  state  your  business." 

"  I  had  the  impulse  to  come  to  you,"  Nell  said 
simply.  "  That's  all.  I  wanted  to  speak  to 
some  one  who  knew  Adrian  Steele." 

"  I  have  not  seen  him  for  nine  years,"  Tamar 
said,  her  face  assuming  a  hard,  set  expression 
directly  she  heard  Adrian  Steele's  name. 

"  And  I  have  not  seen  him  for  twelve  years  — 
until  to-day  —  this  afternoon,"  Nell  replied. 

"  Until  to-day,"  Tamar  repeated.  "  And  why 
to-day?" 

"Ah,  that's  just  what  I  don't  know,"  Nell 
repeated.  "  That's  why  I  have  taken  the  liberty 
of  coming  here.  I  thought  you  might  be  able  to 
tell  me  something  about  him.  I  have  a  sort  of 
idea,  Tamar,  that  he  is  in  trouble." 

'  Well,  why  shouldn't  he  be  ? "  Tamar  re- 
marked. "  Most  people  are." 

'  You  are  right,"  Nell  said,  nodding  her  head. 
"  All  the  same,  if  I  knew  what  his  trouble  was, 
I  should  wish  to  stand  by  him." 

There  was  a  pause. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       23 

"  So  should  I,"  Tamar  said,  turning  her  back 
on  Nell. 

There  was  another  pause.  Nell  leaned  against 
the  counter  staring  sightlessly  at  a  collection  of 
Battersea  enamel  snuff-boxes  on  a  table  by  them- 
selves; and  Tamar,  with  her  arms  folded  tightly 
together  and  her  back  to  her  visitor,  closed  her 
eyes  and  saw  a  vision  of  the  past.  The  thoughts 
of  each  woman  were  centered  on  the  man  who  at 
one  time  had  been  all  the  world  to  each  of  them, 
in  a  different  way,  and  who  had  wrecked  them 
both,  each  in  a  different  way  also. 

Tamar  broke  the  long  silence. 

"  Why  should  you  think  he  was  in  trouble  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"  He  told  me  he  had  *  gone  under,'  "  Nell  said. 
"He—" 

''  That's  nothing.  We've  all  gone  under  in 
some  form,"  Tamar  interrupted. 

"  He  asked  me  to  forgive  him,"  Nell  continued. 
"  I  am  sure  he  would  never  have  deigned  to  ask 
any  one's  pardon  unless  he  were  in  a  state  of 
intense  depression." 

"  No,"  Tamar  admitted  with  a  grim  smile. 
'  There  must  be  something  wrong.  Perhaps  he 
wants  money.  Most  men  come  to  women  for 
money." 

"  He  was  never  that  kind  of  man,"  Nell  said 
indignantly.  "  You  do  him  an  injustice." 


24      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Tamar  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  Ah,"  she  said,  "  I  see  you  have  not  cured 
yourself  of  what  Adrian  Steele  used  to  call  '  your 
morbid  and  pathological  craze  for  justice.' ' 

Nell  smiled  at  the  recollection,  and  even  Ta- 
mar's  set  expression  of  countenance  relaxed  to  an 
easier  adjustment. 

"  However,"  she  said,  "  I  don't  mind  owning 
that  you  are  probably  — " 

The  shop  door  opened,  and  a  young  clergyman 
with  a  singularly  interesting  face  came  into  the 
shop,  advanced  to  the  counter,  paused  and  glanced 
nervously  round. 

"  Probably  in  the  right  on  this  occasion,"  Ta- 
mar continued,  without  taking  any  immediate  no- 
tice of  the  newcomer.  "  He  wasn't  that  type. 
No,  you  needn't  go  unless  you  want  to.  But  per- 
haps you'd  better  wait  in  the  inner  room." 

As  she  spoke,  she  touched  the  key  which  was 
attached  to  a  black  ribbon  hanging  round  her  neck, 
as  though  to  assure  herself  that  she  had  locked 
up  the  roller  desk  at  which  she  repaired  and 
altered  some  of  her  antique  jewelry.  Then  she 
turned  her  attention  to  her  client.  She  guessed 
from  long  observation  that  he  had  something  to 
sell,  and  that  he  wanted  the  money  badly.  She 
yawned,  put  on  her  patent  look  of  indifference, 
and  watched  him  fumble  at  his  coat  pocket  and 
produce  a  small  case,  out  of  which  he  took  a 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       25 

lovely  old  silver  crucifix  set  in  rubies  and  pearls. 
Her  eyes  sparkled  at  the  sight  of  the  jewels,  for 
quite  apart  from  anything  to  do  with  business, 
Tamar  worshiped  precious  stones. 

"I  —  I  —  want  to  sell  this,"  he  said  with  ex- 
treme nervousness,  "  if  —  if  I  can  get  a  good 
price  for  it." 

Tamar  stretched  out  her  hand  for  it  with  a 
steadiness  which  belied  the  agitation  in  her  breast. 
Her  practiced  eye  saw  that  it  was  a  beautiful  thing 
of  its  kind  —  French,  date  probably  about  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century;  the  pearls  of 
no  value,  but  the  rubies,  Burmese,  and  finely  cut, 
six  in  number.  Here  was  beauty,  and  here  was 
business  too  —  very  good  business,  the  real  name 
for  which  was  plunder.  Tamar  was  always  stim- 
ulated by  any  prospect  of  plunder,  not  only  for 
the  sake  of  accumulating  money  easily,  but  also 
for  the  mental  enjoyment  of  the  scheming  in- 
volved in  securing  the  plunder.  Well,  here  was 
the  chance  of  plunder,  and  here  was  a  clergyman. 
She  had  always  hated  clergymen  of  all  denomina- 
tions. The  situation,  therefore,  appeared  to  her 
highly  satisfactory.  Up  went  her  pulse,  a  light 
came  into  her  eyes,  her  heart  beat  with  pleasant 
excitation.  She  examined  the  crucifix  silently  for 
several  moments,  which  seemed  as  aeons  to  the 
anxious  young  man  waiting  for  the  verdict. 

At  last  she  spoke. 


26       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  The  rubies  and  pearls  are  very  poor,  espe- 
cially the  rubies,"  she  said  in  that  dreamy  poetical 
tone  of  voice  which  she  unconsciously  used  when 
she  was  cheating.  Tamar  plundering  was  ever 
in  her  most  esthetic  mood,  and  she  was  therefore 
pursuing  her  own  form  of  art,  her  fine  art,  in 
fact,  brought  to  a  high  state  of  secret  develop- 
ment. 

"The  crucifix  itself  is  good,"  she  continued; 
"  the  date,  I  should  say,  about  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  French  workmanship." 

"  How  can  you  know,  I  wonder?"  the  clergy- 
man asked,  much  impressed.  "  Yes,  it  is  French, 
and  that  is  approximately  the  date." 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  Tamar  remarked  severely. 
"How  do  I  know?  It's  my  business  to  know. 
How  do  the  astronomers  know  stars?  How  do 
you  know  lost  souls?  " 

"  Souls  are  never  lost,"  the  clergyman  said 
quietly,  but  with  a  slight  flush  on  his  face. 

"Aren't  they?"  Tamar  asked  in  indulgent 
surprise. 

"  No,"  he  answered  quite  definitely. 

Tamar  stared  at  him  a  moment,  and  resumed 
her  investigations. 

'  Very  interesting  design,"  she  continued. 
"  Rim  characteristic.  Workmanship  delicate. 
Yes,  I  will  buy  it  —  for  a  small  sum.  As  I  re- 
marked before,  the  stones  are  poor." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       27 

"  I  had  always  understood  the  rubies  were 
valuable,"  the  clergyman  said. 

Tamar  scrutinized  them  once  more.  She  ap- 
plied a  magnifying-glass  to  them. 

"  Interesting  from  one  point  of  view,  because 
specially  well  cut,"  she  said  slowly,  "  but  unsatis- 
factory from  a  market  point  of  view.  Too  deep 
in  color,  and  not  free  from  flaws.  I  will  give 
you  —  let  me  see  —  four  pounds  —  no  —  four 
guineas.  Four  guineas." 

"  Oh,  I  can't  sell  it  at  that  price,"  he  said.  He 
was  evidently  much  disappointed. 

"Very  well,"  she  said,  nodding  her  head;  and 
without  further  comment  she  replaced  the  crucifix 
in  its  case. 

"  I  had  always  understood  it  was  worth  at  least 
£25,"  he  said  with  great  sadness. 

"  Most  people  put  an  undue  value  on  their  own 
possessions,"  she  remarked  dryly.  "  I  don't 
blame  them.  Mind,  I  don't  say  your  crucifix 
might  not  be  worth  £25  to  any  one  who  would 
pay  £25  for  it.  Only  I  don't  care  to  chance  that, 
you  see.  Lots  of  these  things  in  the  shop  have 
been  here  for  years.  This  little  lovely  Chelsea 
figure,  for  instance,  I  have  had  by  me  for  ten 
years.  I  shall  sell  it,  perhaps,  some  day;  perhaps 
never.  Meanwhile  I  have  to  pay  rates  and  taxes 
and  house  rent.  No  one  thinks  of  that.  You 
may  get  a  pound  or  two  elsewhere.  I  should 


28       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

advise  you  to  try.  Others  who  have  not  already 
got  so  much  stock  as  myself  may  care  to  risk 
more.  I  have  stated  what  I  care  to  risk.  I  ad- 
mit the  figure  is  low,  but  I  should  not  dream  of 
giving  any  more." 

"  Thank  you,"  the  young  man  said  with  a  grave 
smile.  "  Good  afternoon.  I  am  much  obliged 
to  you  for  your  explanation." 

"  Good  afternoon,"  she  said,  and  she  watched 
him  go  towards  the  door,  obviously  disheartened, 
but  not  resentful.  As  a  rule  Tamar  paid  no  at- 
tention to  people's  dejection.  She  was  accus- 
tomed to  it,  and  moreover  she  was,  by  nature, 
proof  against  pathos.  But  the  simple  bearing  of 
this  young  fellow  appealed  in  some  curious  way 
to  her  kinder  feelings.  There  was  no  trace  in  his 
manner  of  clerical  superciliousness,  and  no  faint 
echo  in  his  voice  of  clerical  arrogance.  The 
dignity  of  spirit  with  which  he  accepted  his  dis- 
appointment, struck  her  as  being  something  which 
she  had  never  observed  in  others  who  had  come 
to  her.  Instinct  told  her  that  he  was  something 
set  apart;  though  she  could  not  have  explained 
to  herself  what  she  actually  meant  by  this  vague 
description  of  him.  Nevertheless  this  was  how 
he  impressed  her.  She  called  him  back.  Per- 
haps she  allowed  herself  this  impulse  because  the 
affair  had  passed  out  of  her  hands;  for  it  was  her 
rigid  business  rule,  which  had  been  laid  down  by 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       29 

her  mother  before  her,  never  to  alter  the  sum 
which  she  offered,  either  in  buying  or  selling. 
Her  face  was  a  remarkable  study  at  the  moment. 
She  was  annoyed  with  herself  for  having  lost  the 
chance  of  securing  those  six  crucifix  rubies,  and 
she  was  half  pleased  with  herself,  half  astonished 
with  herself  for  her  unwonted  attitude  towards  a 
disappointed  seller  —  a  clergyman  to  boot. 

"  I  am  going  to  tell  you  something,"  she  said, 
leaning  with  her  elbows  over  the  counter.  "  I 
am  going  to  let  you  into  a  secret.  Why,  I  don't 
know.  Now  listen.  This  matter  does  not  con- 
cern me  now.  I've  made  my  offer,  and  that's  the 
end  of  it,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned.  But  I'll  give 
you  some  good  advice,  more  valuable  than  most 
people's  advice.  If  you  want  to  get  good  money 
for  your  crucifix,  take  the  stones  out  and  sell  them 
at  one  place,  and  the  crucifix  at  another.  They 
are  far  more  valuable  separate,  because  they  can't 
be  played  of  against  each  other.  One  dealer  will 
tell  you  that  the  silverwork  is  good  and  the  stones 
are  bad." 

'  You  told  me  that  the  stones  were  bad,"  he 
interposed. 

'  Yes,  I  told  you  that  the  stones  were  bad,"  she 
repeated  slowly.  "  Another  dealer  will  tell  you 
that  the  stones  are  good  and  the  silverwork  is  bad. 
Separate,  each  can  claim  a  better  value,  especially 
the  rubies." 


30      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

He  stood  staring  at  her  with  a  perplexed  look 
on  his  face;  for  all  this  was  entirely  out  of  his 
scope.  Still,  he  had  a  vague  perception  that  this 
woman  was  by  nature  hard  and  grasping,  but  that 
she  had  been  prompted  spiritually  to  show  him  a 
true  service.  As  this  thought  became  clearer  to 
him,  the  troubled  expression  of  his  countenance 
faded  away  into  that  calm  radiance  which  is  often 
seen  on  the  face  of  those  who  have  pierced  into 
the  inner  secret  of  spiritual  life. 

"  You  have  indeed  been  kind  to  me,"  he  said. 
"  And  I  thank  you  sincerely." 

Without  any  further  word  he  went  towards  the 
door,  but  when  there,  paused,  glanced  across  the 
shop,  seemed  to  include  the  whole  surroundings 
in  one  keen,  comprehensive  survey,  and  then 
looked  back  at  Tamar.  He  hesitated  a  moment, 
colored,  fought  with  his  shyness,  and  finally  took 
out  a  card.  He  handed  it  to  her,  and  she  saw 
that  it  bore  the  name  of  the  Rev.  Richard  Forest, 
Herne  Vicarage,  Warwickshire. 

"  If  I  can  serve  you  at  any  time,"  he  said,  "  that 
is  my  name  and  address.  My  little  church  has 
one  of  the  finest  Norman  fonts  in  England.  I 
am  proud  of  it.  I  should  like  to  show  it  to  you 
if  you  ever  come  that  way." 

She  nodded  indulgently,  as  though  to  a  child, 
and  after  he  had  gone,  appeared  to  be  caught  in 
a  network  of  thought,  from  which  she  at  last 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      31 

extricated   herself  with   a   sigh   of  relief  and   a 
shrug. 

"  All  the  same,"  she  said  aloud,  "  I  am  sorry 
I  lost  those  rubies." 


CHAPTER  III 

MEANWHILE  Nell  Silberthwaite  sat  in  the 
little  inner  room  where,  in  the  old  days, 
she  and  Tamar  Scott  and  Adrian  Steele  had  often 
taken  tea  together;  a  curious  party,  and  never  a 
genial  one.  For  Tamar  was  not  a  gay  companion, 
but  there  had  always  been  something  attractive 
about  her  very  sulkiness,  and  when  she  was  in 
the  mood  she  could  be  deeply  interesting.  If 
they  were  lucky  enough  to  get  her  on  the  subject 
of  precious  stones,  her  face  would  light  up  and 
her  whole  nature  become  kindled  with  interest  and 
excitement.  Adrian  knew  how  to  awaken  these 
dormant  possibilities  in  her.  He  would  pretend 
to  criticize  ruthlessly  one  of  her  finest  gems,  pos- 
sibly one  of  her  rubies,  rubies  being  her  passion, 
and  thus  having  aroused  the  tigress  in  her,  would 
wait  patiently  until  the  outburst  of  indignation 
had  passed  into  a  flood  of  enthusiasm.  Then  she, 
at  first  all  unawares,  would  open  to  her  listeners 
a  treasure  house  of  rare  and  fascinating  knowl- 
edge, which  she  closed  with  abrupt  rudeness 
when  she  realized  that  she  was  allowing  others  to 
share  her  secret  rapture. 

Nell  remembered  this,  and  recalled  the  details 
32 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      33 

and  difficulties  of  their  three-cornered  intercourse, 
and  the  silent,  deep-rooted  jealousy  which,  as 
time  went  on,  grew  up  between  herself  and 
Tamar.  Yes,  this  little  inner  room  with  its 
enamels  and  china,  its  silver,  its  miniatures,  its 
jewelry,  and  its  two  iron  safes  had  been  the  scene 
of  much  fierce  though  suppressed  combat,  and 
Nell,  to  her  own  surprise  and  shame,  found  her- 
self, after  twelve  years,  continuing  that  conflict 
with  an  intensity  which  had  not  been  diminished 
by  the  lapse  of  time.  She  rose,  and  to  get  rid 
of  her  thoughts,  began  looking  at  some  of  the 
miniatures  and  bits  of  old  brass  hanging  on  the 
walls. 

Finally,  her  eye  caught  sight  of  some  beau- 
tiful pieces  of  old  china  in  Tamar's  favorite 
corner  cupboard,  and  she  was  trying  to  see 
whether  she  could  recognize  any  of  the  cups  and 
saucers  familiar  to  her  in  the  past,  when  she  sud- 
denly noticed  on  the  table  hard  by,  a  book  on 
precious  stones.  She  took  it  up,  became  en- 
grossed in  it,  and  was  still  intent  on  it  when 
Tamar  joined  her. 

"  A  most  interesting  book,"  she  said;  "  and  the 
illustrations  are  really  splendid.  This  one,  for 
instance,  a  Burma  ruby.  I  don't  think  I  ever  saw 
a  more  beautiful  picture  of  a  precious  stone." 

"  Don't  talk  to  me  about  rubies,"  Tamar  re- 
marked curtly.  "  I  don't  wish  to  think  of  them 


34      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

at  present.     I've  just  lost  some  beauties  through 
—  well  —  through  an  error  of  judgment." 

She  unlocked  her  roller  desk,  sat  down  and 
began  doctoring  an  antique  ring  of  rose-topaz, 
set  with  three  rows  of  beautiful  pearls,  medallion 
shape.  Nell  watched  her,  and  at  the  same  time 
feasted  her  eyes  on  the  really  lovely  ring. 

"  The  clergyman  was  poor,"  Tamar  said  after 
a  period  of  silence.  "  Well,  a  man  of  God  should 
be  poor." 

"  Do  you  remember  how  Adrian  Steele  always 
spoke  of  the  clergy  as  if  they  had  ceased  to 
exist?"  Nell  said.  "It  always  amused  me  how 
he  was  able  to  banish  from  his  world  all  the 
things  which  he  decided  did  not  concern  him 
personally." 

Tamar  nodded. 

1  Yes,  that  was  one  of  his  habits,"  she  said,  and 
a  slight  smile  stole  over  her  face. 

"  But  he  was  right  about  the  clergy,"  she  added. 
"  He  merely  anticipated  their  eventual  doom. 
They  are  dying  out  fast." 

'  They  are  making  a  struggle,"  Nell  said. 
"  New  types,  you  know." 

'*  They  are  not  clergy,"  Tamar  said.  4  There 
will  have  to  be  a  new  name.  We  don't  call  taxi- 
cabs  four-wheelers." 

"  No,  but  we  put  them  all  in  the  category  of 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      35 

conveyances  designed  to  carry  us  from  one  place 
to  another,"  Nell  said. 

Tamar  laughed  softly. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  remark  to  include  the 
clergy  also?"  she  asked.  "I  must  say  I  never 
heard  them  described  in  those  words.  They  are 
words  worthy  of  Adrian  Steele.  Well,  we  were 
both  his  pupils,  weren't  we?" 

"  Yes,"  Nell  said.  "  And  do  you  know  I  only 
now  begin  to  realize  how  much  I  owe  to  him." 

Tamar  looked  up  from  her  work. 

"  He  treated  you  badly,  too,"  she  said  trium- 
phantly. 

"  Yes,"  Nell  said.  "  I  admit  it  with  all  hu- 
mility, Tamar." 

"  I  was  glad  at  the  time,"  Tamar  said.  "  I 
was  always  bitterly  jealous  of  you.  Here,  in  this 
very  room,  I  suffered  martyrdoms  of  jealousy." 

"  And  I  also  suffered  martyrdoms  of  jealousy 
in  this  very  room,"  Nell  said. 

;'  We  were  a  couple  of  fools,"  Tamar  said. 
'  That's  what  we  were." 

Nell  was  silent. 

"  I  suppose  you  know  that  when  he  tired  of 
you  —  the  modern  product,  as  he  called  you,  he 
turned  to  me,"  Tamar  said.  "  And  I  was  weak 
enough  to  be  caught  in  the  toils  from  which  you 
had  been  allowed  to  escape." 


36       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Yes,  I  knew,"  Nell  said.  "  And  one  night, 
Tamar  —  I  recollect  it  was  snowing  hard  —  I 
stood  outside  your  door  here,  and  had  the  im- 
pulse to  come  in  and  beg  you  to  free  yourself 
before  he  had  the  chance  of  humiliating  you  by 
wearying  of  your  love  too,  as  he  had  wearied  of 
mine.  But  I  remembered  that  in  my  own  case, 
people's  well-meant  advice  had  only  made  me 
more  stubborn.  So  I  went  away." 

"  Well,  you  did  wisely,"  Tamar  replied. 
"  You  would  have  had  colder  comfort  inside  than 
outside. 

"  All  the  same,"  she  went  on,  "  I  am  rather 
glad  you  wanted  to  help  me.  I  have  never  dis- 
liked you.  But  no  one  could  have  helped  me. 
Nothing  could  have  helped  me  —  except  this." 

She  pointed  to  the  book  on  precious  stones. 

"  I  wrote  that  book,"  she  said  proudly. 

"You?"  Nell  exclaimed  in  astonishment. 
'  Yes,"  she  answered.  "  He  thought  that  no 
one  could  do  anything  without  him.  He  told  me 
one  day  that  I  could  never  put  a  book  of  that  sort 
together.  He  said  I  was  not  clever  enough  to 
make  my  fragments  of  information  into  a  coherent 
whole.  Fragments  of  information !  I  never  for- 
got that  insult.  You  know  how  he  used  to  dis- 
courage one  sometimes,  and  force  one  to  depre- 
ciate oneself,  because  he  wished  to  pose  as  an 
indispensable  element  in  one's  life  and  work." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      37 

Nell  nodded.  She  remembered  that  well 
enough.  She  had  had  her  full  share  of  that 
treatment. 

"  Well,"  Tamar  continued,  "  I  was  determined 
to  show  myself  and  him  too  that  I  could  write 
that  book,  and  bring  it  out  worthily.  Oh  yes,  it 
was  a  costly  affair.  But  I  assure  you  that,  if 
necessary,  I  would  have  spent  my  last  shilling  on 
its  production.  It  was  my  mental  defiance  to 
him,  and  the  confirmation  to  myself  of  my  own 
special  abilities.  It  was  the  only  thing  in  the 
world  which  could  have  helped  me  to  pass  on." 

Her  voice  was  low,  but  charged  with  intense 
feeling,  and  her  hands  trembled  a  little  as  she 
tried  to  go  on  with  her  work.  Nell  made  no 
comment  on  her  words,  but  took  the  book  once 
more  and  turned  over  the  pages  with  a  sort  of 
reverence,  inspired  by  an  intimate  understanding 
of  the  stress  and  strain  of  spirit  which  she  and 
Tamar  had  suffered  in  common. 

"  Has  he  ever  seen  it?  "  she  asked  gently.  "  I 
hope  so." 

"  I  don't  know,"  Tamar  answered  sullenly. 

The  shop  bell  rang  and  Tamar  said: 

"  Perhaps  you'll  go.  The  old  woman  still  falls 
asleep  over  her  tea.  Nothing  rouses  her  then. 
I  can't  leave  off  fixing  in  this  little  pearl  at  this 
moment." 

Nell  sauntered  into  the  shop  with  Tamar's  book 


38       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

under  her  arm,  and  in  the  dim  light  of  one  gas 
jet,  saw  a  little  man  standing  with  his  back  turned 
towards  the  door  through  which  she  had  passed. 
Even  before  he  moved  his  position,  she  knew  it 
was  Adrian  Steele. 

"  Ah,  Nell,"  he  said  quietly,  as  though  he  had 
encountered  her  every  day  of  his  life  in  recent 
years  and  accepted  her  presence  in  Tamar's  shop 
as  a  matter  of  course.  "  Is  Tamar  in?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  smiling  a  little  at  his 
characteristic  coolness  which  had  always  amused 
her.  "  Will  you  wait  whilst  I  tell  her?  Take  a 
look  meantime  at  this  beautiful  book  of  Tamar's. 
To  use  a  favorite  old  word  of  yours,  it  is  superb." 

She  placed  it  deliberately  in  his  hands  and  lin- 
gered a  moment  trying  to  make  the  gas  burn 
more  brightly,  for  the  shop  looked  depressingly 
dreary. 

"  Oh,  I  shouldn't  bother,"  he  said,  watching 
her.  '*  Tamar  was  always  famous  for  her  dismal 
gas,  wasn't  she?  Nothing  human  was  ever  able 
to  remedy  it.  And  so  this  is  her  book.  *  Pre- 
cious Stones  and  Gems :  their  history,  sources,  and 
characteristics,'  by  T.  Scott.  I  had  heard  of  it. 
I  always  meant  to  read  it.  But  one  gets  swept 
off  in  fresh  directions." 

He  had  taken  the  book  near  the  gas,  and  im- 
mediately became  immersed  in  it.  Nell,  as  she 
went  to  fetch  Tamar,  heard  him  say: 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      39! 

"  Ah,  well,  upon  my  word,  that's  rather  good 
for  Tamar." 

When  Tamar  heard  the  name  of  the  newcomer, 
she  put  down  the  rose-topaz  ring,  and  pondered 
awhile. 

"  No,  I  don't  wish  to  see  him,"  she  said  at  last. 
"  I  have  always  considered  the  past  an  intolerable 
nuisance.  It  was  bad  enough  that  you  should 
have  come.  But  that  he  should  have  come  too, 
passes  all  endurance.  Perhaps  you  knew  he  was 
coming.  I  suppose  you  did,  really." 

"  No,  no,"  Nell  denied.  "  I  hadn't  the  least 
idea.  I  should  have  told  you.  But  I  do  think, 
Tamar,  that  this  double  visit  to  us  shows  he  must 
be  in  some  kind  of  trouble.  It  is  most  curious 
that  he  should  suddenly  come  to  see  us  after  so 
many  years.  I  do  beg  of  you  to  receive  him. 
My  first  impulse  was  to  refuse.  I,  too,  dreaded 
the  reawakening  of  old  memories.  But  my  sec- 
ond impulse  was  different." 

"  Much  better  for  your  second  impulse  to  have 
been  the  same  as  your  first,"  Tamar  replied. 
;'  What  good  has  it  done  you?  Drawn  you  back 
into  the  past.  Weakened  you.  The  past  is  no 
good  to  anybody.  I'm  not  going  to  be  weakened. 
No,  I  won't  see  him." 

'  You  said  a  little  while  ago  that  if  he  were 
in  trouble,  you  would  wish  to  help  him,"  Nell 
persisted. 


40      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Well,  let  him  write  then,"  Tamar  said  surlily. 
"  Go  and  tell  him  that  at  once,  and  don't  plead 
for  him  with  me.  It  annoys  me." 

"  I  cannot  deliver  your  message  if  you  are  too 
rude,"  Nell  said  with  spirit.  "  One  accepts  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  rudeness  from  you,  Tamar, 
but  there  are  limits  to  one's  forbearance,  you 
know." 

"  I  don't  mind  saying  I'm  sorry,"  Tamar  con- 
ceded with  a  little  reluctant  apologetic  smile  which 
won  for  her  Nell's  instant  forgiveness;  for  every 
one,  however  angry,  had  always  capitulated  to 
Tamar's  sullen  smile.  Nell  went  obediently  back 
to  Adrian  Steele  to  give  him  his  dismissal. 

'  Tamar  won't  see  you,  Adrian,"  she  said. 
"  She  says  you  can  equally  well  write." 

"  So  I  can,"  he  answered  cheerfully.  "  Really 
this  is  a  most  interesting  book  and  exceedingly 
well  done  —  considering  Tamar's  limitations.  I 
never  thought  she  could  make  her  fragments  of 
information  into  a  coherent  whole.  But  ap- 
parently I  was  mistaken.  One  sometimes  is. 
Some  of  the  sentences  are  almost  literary.  This 
one,  for  instance,  Nell,  about  the  opal,  through 
no  fault  of  its  own,  losing  its  ancient  glory  and 
being  falsely  accused  in  latter  days  of  bringing 
bad  luck.  Tamar  could  never  have  written  so 
feelingly  of  anything  or  any  one  except  a  mineral. 
And  look  here,  I  implore  you.  This  sentence  is 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       41 

quite  scholarly:  rather  in  your  old  style.  You 
must  have  helped  her,  surely." 

"  No  one  helped  her,"  Nell  replied  indig- 
nantly. "  It  has  been  her  pride  and  her  triumph 
that  she  did  it  unaided  by  any  one  —  especially 
by  you." 

She  flushed  as  she  ranged  herself  on  Tamar's 
side.  He  glanced  at  her. 

"  Still  suffering  from  your  old  illness,  Nell,  I 
see,  a  pathological  craze  for  justice,"  he  said, 
teasing  her. 

She  smiled  as  she  heard  once  more  that  well 
remembered  phrase. 

"  But  you're  right  to  call  me  to  order,'"  he  said, 
putting  on  a  chastened  expression.  "  And  as  for 
Tamar,  I  can  understand  that  she  was  helped  not 
by  you  or  any  one  else,  but  by  her  own  passionate 
wish  to  assert  her  individuality  and  vindicate  her- 
self to  herself.  I  retarded  her  mental  growth. 
Free  from  me,  her  mind  expanded.  Well,  it  is  a 
superb  book.  And  she  has  shown  great  discre- 
tion in  the  choice  of  the  illustrations.  Lavish  ex- 
penditure also.  No  wonder  she  can't  afford  a 
more  lively  illumination  in  the  shop.  Ah,  this 
plate  is  the  best  of  them  all,  isn't  it,  this  Burma 
ruby.  And  that  reminds  me,  it  is  of  rubies  I 
wanted  to  speak  to  her  —  or  write  —  since  she 
will  not  see  me." 

He  took  an  envelope  out  of  his  breast  pocket, 


42       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

tore  a  piece  of  paper  from  a  small  notebook,  and 
wrote :  — 

"  DEAR  TAMAR, —  No  doubt  you  remember 
those  negotiations  I  carried  out  for  you  in  con- 
nection with  Lady  Whitcombe's  rubies.  They 
gave  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  there  were 
complications  at  the  time,  the  annoyance  of  which 
I  was  anxious  to  spare  you.  I  found  later,  that 
I  had  made  a  wrong  calculation  of  our  respective 
profits,  and  I  have  been  wishing  for  a  long  period 
to  have  the  impulse  to  make  reparation  to  you. 
The  impulse  has  come,  Tamar.  I  have  brought 
you  a  check  for  £19,  and  as  you  would  rather 
not  see  me,  I  enclose  it  in  this  letter.  Pray  ac- 
cept it  from  me,  even  at  the  eleventh  hour,  and 
pardon  me  for  having  been  —  well,  shall  we  say, 
since  we  understand  each  other  —  inaccurate?  I 
have  been  reading  your  interesting  book  by  the 
light  of  your  prehistoric  one  gas  jet. 

"  ADRIAN  STEELE." 

He  folded  the  letter  into  the  envelope  and 
handed  it  with  a  smile  to  Nell. 

"  It's  really  too  bad  to  give  you  this  trouble, 
Nell,"  he  said.  '  Tamar  was  always  tiresome, 
wasn't  she?  I  wish  I  could  myself  take  it  to  the 
inner  room.  But  that's  impossible,  since  I'm 
debarred  from  her  imperial  presence.  And  no 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      43 

doubt  the  old  woman  is  asleep  over  her  tea,  as 
in  the  old  days.  Was  it  tea,  I  wonder?  Does  it 
necessarily  mean  that  a  teapot  should  contain  tea 
only?" 

"  I  can  only  tell  you  I've  heard  direct  from 
Tamar  that  the  old  woman  is  asleep  over  her 
tea,"  Nell  said,  laughing,  "  and  that's  why  I've 
been  promoted  to  the  position  of  imperial  mes- 
senger boy." 

"  Does  Tamar  often  concede  this  distinction  to 
you,  may  I  ask?  "  he  said.  "  You  will  recall  that 
I  was  ever  inquisitive." 

"  I  have  not  seen  Tamar  for  many  years  until 
to-day,  Adrian,"  Nell  said  gravely. 

He  stood  silent  for  a  moment. 

"  Ah,"  he  said  at  length,  "  then  you  and  she 
did  not  come  together  again  after  — " 

He  broke  off. 

"  After  I  had  forsaken  her  too,"  he  finished 
bravely.  But  his  face  showed  that  it  cost  him 
an  effort  to  speak  those  words. 

"No,"  Nell  answered;  "not  until  to-day." 

"  Not  until  to-day,"  he  repeated  as  though  to 
himself;  and  he  moved  away  from  her,  and  un- 
fastened from  the  wall  a  rosary  of  beautifully 
chased  silver  and  cut  jet  beads. 

"  It's  strange  she  has  never  sold  that,"  he  said. 
"  I  remember  it  well.  Spanish,  isn't  it?" 

Nell  made  no  answer,  but  took  the  letter  he 


44       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

had  written  to  Tamar,  who  read  it,  glanced  at  the 
check,  and  showed  both  to  her. 

"  You  are  right,"  Tamar  said.  '  There  must 
be  something  wrong  with  him.  He  would  never 
make  reparation  to  any  one  unless  he  were  —  well 
. —  at  bay." 

And  with  sudden  anger  she  flung  the  check  on 
to  the  ground,  and  cried: 

"  He  asked  your  spiritual  forgiveness.  But  he 
pays  me  back  money.  Even  now,  after  all  these 
years,  he  gauges  the  difference  between  us.  I 
was  always  bitterly  jealous  of  you,  and  I  am 
now." 

"  No,  no,  Tamar,  not  now,"  Nell  answered. 
"  It  isn't  worth  while  now.  You  know  it  isn't. 
Don't  be  angry.  Don't  be  jealous.  If  any  one 
ought  to  be  jealous,  it  is  I,  seeing  him  entranced 
over  your  splendid  book.  Come,  let's  burn  the 
check,  and  then  you'll  feel  better." 

"  Burn  the  check,"  Tamar  said,  snatching  it 
away  as  Nell  picked  it  up.  "  Why,  you  must  be 
mad.  Burn  it,  did  you  say?  Certainly  not.  I 
shall  cash  it,  and  as  soon  as  possible.  It's  my 
money.  He  cheated  me  out  of  it.  I  knew.  I 
let  him  cheat  me,  because  I  was  in  love  with  him 
at  the  time.  I've  never  allowed  any  one  else  to 
cheat  me,  never  in  my  life.  But  I  knew  well 
enough,  and  I  shall  go  now  and  tell  him  I  knew." 

She  threw  the  check  into  a  drawer,  locked  up 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      45 

the  desk,  glanced  at  Nell,  who  stood  dumbfounded 
by  her  outburst  of  fierceness  and  her  display  of 
avarice,  and  passed  into  the  shop  where  Adrian 
Steele  had  become  once  more  absorbed  in  her 
book. 

"  Ah,  Tamar,  so  it's  you,"  he  said,  looking  up 
for  a  moment.  "  I  am  so  glad  you  changed  your 
mind  and  came  out  to  see  me.  This  is  really  a 
superb  book.  Upon  my  soul,  you  haven't  done 
it  at  all  badly.  Do  you  know,  I  never  knew  you 
had  been  to  Amsterdam  and  learned  the  diamond 
cutting  at  first  hand.  Most  interesting." 

She  gave  no  greeting,  showed  no  sign  that  his 
words  of  praise  reached  her,  but  bending  down, 
took  a  large  ledger  from  the  bottom  shelf  of  a 
cupboard  behind  the  counter.  She  placed  it  on 
the  counter,  opened  it  at  the  letter  W,  and  without 
preliminaries  read  aloud: 

"Lady  Whitcombe's  rubies,  £19  short  of  real 
deal,  kept  back  secretly  by  A.  S." 

"  So  you  see  I  knew,  Adrian,"  she  said  slowly. 
"  I  knew  you  had  to  cheat.  I  forgave  you.  It 
would  have  been  quite  simple  for  you  to  claim 
a  higher  commission.  But  you  preferred  to  pay 
yourself  in  this  way.  I  understood  probably  be- 
cause—  well  —  because  you  and  I  always  under- 
stood certain  characteristics  in  each  other  which  we 
,had  in  common." 


46       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

She  closed  the  ledger,  and  stood  waiting  for 
him  to  speak.  There  was  no  faintest  trace  of 
conciliation  in  her  manner,  no  outward  betrayal  of 
feeling,  emotion,  or  opinion.  She  might  have 
been  a  statue  to  which  even  the  semblance  of 
vitality  had  been  denied. 

Adrian  Steele  appeared  entirely  unaffected  by 
her  attitude  towards  him.  It  was  relatively  un- 
important to  him  that  she  was  at  the  moment  un- 
compromising, unreachable,  hostile.  Probably 
he  did  not  believe  that  her  hostility  towards  him 
was  deep-rooted.  What  mattered  to  him  was 
that  she  knew  him  through  and  through,  and  that 
this  one  instance  of  her  knowledge  and  discrim- 
ination, placed  on  record  in  her  ledger,  ought 
to  suffice  as  an  encouragement  to  him  to  seek 
her  counsel  in  his  hour  of  need.  No  explanation, 
no  excuses,  no  expressions  of  shame  were  neces- 
sary. All  he  had  to  do  was  to  say :  "  Look  here, 
Tamar,  I've  been  keeping  back  about  £25,000 
of  my  clients'  money  for  precisely  the  same  rea- 
son that  I  kept  back  your  £19.  I've  come  to  ask 
you  to  talk  things  out  with  me  and  ease  my  mental 
tension."  She  would  not  stand  like  a  sphinx 
then.  Even  although  against  her  will,  she  would 
be  impelled,  from  sheer  love  of  scheming,  to  put 
her  mind  in  contact  with  his.  Could  he  tell  her? 
He  had  not  been  able  to  tell  Nell,  because,  at 
the  last,  his  pride,  as  well  as  his  natural  reticence, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      47 

had  got  the  better  of  him;  but,  in  the  case  of. 
Tamar,  who  was  on  a  lower  ethical  plane,  his 
reticence  was  at  least  not  reenforced  by  his  pride. 
He  was  that  much  to  the  good  —  or  the  bad. 
Could  he  tell  her?  He  longed  with  an  inten- 
sity, the  pain  of  which  was  scarcely  bearable,  to 
share  with  some  one  the  burden  of  his  impend- 
ing difficulties.  Now  that  he  saw  Tamar  again, 
who  knew  and  understood  him,  he  felt  that  she, 
and  no  one  else  in  the  world,  was  his  true  com- 
rade, and  his  only  possible  counsellor.  Yes,  here 
she  was,  the  one  and  only  Tamar,  and  here  were 
the  old  familiar  surroundings,  the  old  familiar 
treasures,  the  old  dim  light,  and  the  old  aspect 
of  neglect  and  meanness  which  had  always  been 
characteristic  features  of  Tamar's  shop.  The 
spirit  of  place  laid  its  spell  upon  him  and  whis- 
pered to  him,  in  a  thousand  voices,  that  this  was 
his  chance,  this  was  his  moment  snatched  defiantly 
from  Time  and  Circumstance,  and  that  he  must 
use  it  for  his  own,  in  a  desperate  struggle  against 
the  instinct  of  secrecy  and  reserve  which  had  been 
the  curse  of  his  temperament. 

So  he  fought  his  fight  —  fought  it  valiantly 
alone,  unhelped  —  but  was  again  disarmed  and 
overcome.  Tamar  watched,  with  pitiless  stare, 
the  strained  expression  of  his  countenance  and  the 
keen  suffering  in  his  eyes.  She  noted,  too,  the 
sudden  collapse  of  some  secret  force  within  him, 


48       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

and  she  saw  the  baffled  look  which  testified  to 
some  sure  though  silent  defeat.  Her  old  love  for 
him  tugged  at  her  heartstrings,  but  she  refused  to 
respond.  Some  inner  voice  of  her  own  spirit's 
necessity  called  out  to  her,  and  she  refused  to 
hear. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak?  "  she  said,  rigidly. 

He  shook  his  head,  and  opened  his  hands  with 
a  gesture  which  implied  powerlessness  to  express 
himself  by  speech. 

Again  something  knocked  at  the  door  of 
Tamar's  citadel.  Again  she  turned  a  deaf  ear. 

"Why  don't  you  go?"  she  said  roughly. 
"  The  past  annoys  me.  I  have  no  use  for  the 
past." 

He  took  up  his  hat  which  was  lying  on  the 
counter  near  Tamar's  book.  He  glanced  at  her 
with  a  half-humorous,  half-pathetic  little  smile 
which  seemed  to  say  at  one  and  the  same  time, 
"  It's  only  Tamar.  She  hasn't  really  failed  me. 
Yes,  but  Tamar  has  failed  me.  Tamar  has  failed 
me  in  my  hour  of  need."  He  glanced  around  the 
dim  shop  as  though  bidding  it  farewell,  and  with- 
out any  attempt  at  speech  or  delay,  passed  quietly 
into  the  street. 

Tamar  stood  for  a  long  time  where  he  had  left 
her,  rigid,  immovable.  Her  eyes  were  directed 
fixedly  towards  the  door.  Was  she  perhaps  ex- 
pecting to  see  that  little  loved  figure  from  the 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      49 

past  return  and  press  its  claims  in  the  present? 
At  last  she  sat  down  in  the  old  woman's  chair 
and,  leaning  back,  covered  her  face  with  her 
hands. 

Nearly  half  an  hour  afterwards,  Nell  Silber- 
thwaite,  tired  of  waiting  in  the  inner-room,  and 
troubled  at  hearing  no  stir  of  life  in  the  shop, 
came  and  found  her  in  this  same  position  of  entire 
despondency. 

"  Tamar,"  she  said  with  gentle  concern, 
"Tamar." 

At  the  sound  of  her  voice  Tamar  uncovered  a 
worn  and  tearless  face. 

;'  Woe  is  me,  woe  is  me,"  she  murmured,  and 
beat  her  breast. 


CHAPTER  IV 

TT  was  a  cold  and  dreary  morning  in  February. 
•*•  Even  Richard  Forest  himself,  usually  uncon- 
scious of  bad  weather,  shivered  a  little  as  he  stood 
in  the  tower  and  rang1  the  bell  for  the  early  morn- 
ing service,  and  then  hastened  to  the  vestry  to 
put  on  his  surplice.  Before  he  came  into  the 
chancel,  old  Mrs.  Eustace,  his  servant,  who  also 
swept  and  garnished  the  church,  crept  in  and  took 
her  accustomed  place  near  the  Elizabethan  pulpit, 
a  position  which  experience  had  taught  her  was 
relatively  draughtless.  Rain  or  snow,  storm  or 
calm,  the  young  clergyman  stood  at  his  lonely 
post,  and  the  old  woman  crouched  in  her  shel- 
tered corner.  He  never  realized  the  true  self- 
sacrifice  and  fine  homage  of  her  unfailing  daily 
attendance. 

"  Old  though  my  bones  be,  some  one  must 
hearten  the  poor  young  master,"  she  said.  "  It's 
some  sort  of  company  for  him." 

But  for  all  her  devotion,  she  longed  secretly 
for  the  blessed  day  when  he  would  give  up  these 
early  services  which  no  single  person  in  the  scat- 
tered parish  wanted.  She  even  went  to  the  length 

50 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       51 

of  praying  on  several  occasions  that  his  heart 
might  be  turned  from  its  stubbornness.  Her 
prayers  sent  heavenwards,  and  her  mild  remon- 
strances to  him  personally,  were  of  no  avail. 
Richard  Forest  clung  to  these  services  with  an 
obstinacy  characteristic  of  all  clergy,  but  in  him 
developed  to  an  unusual  degree  of  imperfection. 

"  The  blessing  of  God  must  rest  on  the  village 
for  the  day,  whether  the  people  care  to  hear  it  or 
not,"  he  said  gently  but  firmly. 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  she  answered  with  patient 
resignation.  "  But  would  it  make  much  differ- 
ence if  the  village  got  it  half  an  hour  later?  " 

So  coaxing  was  her  tone  that  Richard  gave  in, 
and  this  was  the  first  morning  that  the  two  wor- 
shipers received  the  benefit  of  the  half-hour's 
grace.  Old  Mrs.  Eustace  offered  up  a  special 
prayer  of  thanks  for  this  concession,  and  even  the 
young  clergyman,  as  he  opened  the  church  service 
book  and  glanced  around  the  church,  had  a  dis- 
tinct feeling  that  the  place  was  not  wearing  its 
usual  air  of  dreary  desolation.  For  the  first  time 
for  many  months  he  felt  encouraged,  and  his 
voice  rang  out  with  a  stronger  note  of  hope  and 
cheerfulness. 

Indeed,  there  had  been  little  enough  to  encour- 
age him  since  he  came,  a  few  months  past,  to  this 
poor  and  lonely  parish  of  Herne.  No  one  had 
wanted  him  nor  his  ministrations.  Three  of  his 


52       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

predecessors  had  left  behind  them  records  of  in- 
difference and  neglect  in  their  work  and  careless- 
ness in  their  conduct.  The  advent  of  a  new 
clergyman  meant  nothing  to  the  parishioners,  ex- 
cept the  probable  continuation  of  the  same  tra- 
ditions. Thus  their  minds  were  rigidly  adjusted 
to  receive  an  unfavorable  impression  of  the 
stranger.  Richard  Forest,  without  knowing  it, 
had  begun  immediately  by  stirring  up  hostility 
against  himself,  for  he  had  deliberately  chosen  to 
inhabit  the  old  haunted  vicarage,  which  had  been 
abandoned  for  many  years;  and  when  he  was 
warned  that  footsteps  would  be  heard,  and  strange 
"  presences  "  felt,  his  simple  answer  confirmed  the 
unfriendly  verdict  against  him. 

"Why  should  I  fear  the  footsteps?  Why 
should  I  be  afraid  of  the  '  presences  '  ?  "  he  said. 
"  I  do  not  shrink  from  intercourse  with  the  other 
worlds.  The  good,  one  can  merge  oneself  into, 
and  the  evil  can  be  met  face  to  face." 

It  was  not  a  wise  nor  a  diplomatic  answer,  but 
Richard  spoke  out  of  the  truthfulness  of  his  spirit, 
and  it  would  not  have  been  conceivable  to  him 
that  his  words  should  be  capable  of  any  sinister  in- 
terpretation. So,  accompanied  by  his  sister,  Mar- 
garet, the  friend  of  his  spiritual  as  well  as  of  his 
corporeal  life,  as  William  Blake,  his  teacher  and 
master,  would  have  said,  he  established  himself 
contentedly  in  the  old  vicarage  down  in  the  dip 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       53 

of  the  hills.  But  three  weeks  after  their  arrival, 
Margaret,  who  had  come  with  a  chill  heavy  on 
her,  and  should  not  have  ventured  on  the  journey, 
died  from  pneumonia  following  on  influenza. 
Then  the  people  around  shrugged  their  shoul- 
ders, and  said  amongst  themselves  that  the  young 
parson  had  been  warned,  and  that  of  his  own  free 
will  he  had  exposed  himself  and  his  household  to 
dire  calamity.  Nevertheless  his  bereftness  and 
his  patient  bearing  made  some  little  headway 
against  their  animosity,  and  they  urged  him, 
kindly  enough,  to  move  away  from  his  ill-omened 
home. 

"  Why  should  I  move?  "  he  asked.  "  My  sis- 
ter has  died  here,  it  is  true.  All  the  more  reason, 
then,  that  I  should  wish  to  be  in  the  surroundings 
which  belong  to  her  last  hours  on  earth.  No, 
certainly  I  shall  not  move." 

'  You  won't  get  a  servant  to  stop  with  you 
there,"  they  warned  him. 

"  Then  I  shall  remain  alone,"  he  answered 
stubbornly. 

But  that  was  not  to  be  his  fate.  Old  Mrs. 
Eustace,  who  did  not  belong  to  the  neighborhood, 
and,  in  consequence,  had  not  a  native  respect  for 
local  traditions,  settled  down  resignedly  at  the 
vicarage,  and  at  least  showed  no  outward  signs 
of  fear.  She  had  become  attached  to  this  lonely 
young  man,  and  was  determined  to  mother  him. 


54      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

She  by  no  means  liked  ghosts,  but  it  would  have 
taken  a  great  many  ghosts  to  make  her  abandon 
him. 

So  the  people  of  the  parish  did  not  interfere 
further,  and  left  him  severely  alone.  But  al- 
though they  held  him  in  vague  distrust,  they  had 
the  sense  to  realize  that  some  one  had  come 
amongst  them,  who  was  of  a  different  stamp  from 
his  predecessors.  Still,  he  was  only  there 
amongst  them  on  sufferance,  even  as  the  others; 
and  they  showed  no  sign  of  wanting  him  or  his 
ministrations.  Sometimes  in  the  early  stages  of 
his  disappointment,  he  used  to  reflect  that  per- 
haps these  very  men  who  had  left  black  records 
behind  them,  had  come  to  Herne  as  eager  as  him- 
self to  effect  human  and  spiritual  intercourse  be- 
tween themselves  and  their  flock.  Repulsed, 
they  had  been  thrown  back  upon  themselves,  with 
nothing  to  foster  their  ideality  or  to  fire  their 
ambition,  without  companionship  of  their  own 
class  and  culture,  and  out  of  touch  with  the  peo- 
ple of  the  countryside,  to  whom  they  were  as  un- 
welcome intruders.  What  then  remained,  or  was 
likely  to  remain?  Nothing  much,  alas!  unless, 
even  as  Richard  Forest,  they  kept  enshrined  in 
their  hearts  the  inner  secret  of  an  abiding  truth, 
which  was  independent  of  dogma  and  doctrine,  of 
chance  and  circumstance,  of  propitious  or  hostile 
conditions  of  life  and  thought. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       55 

In  a  way,  therefore,  Richard  Forest  was  the 
right  man  to  have  come  to  Herne,  since  he  ran 
the  least  possible  risk  of  incurring  harm  from  the 
desolation  of  the  place  and  the  absence  of  even 
ordinary  comradeship.  For  he  was  by  nature 
dreamy  and  meditative,  deeply  occupied  by  and 
immersed  in  that  school  of  thought  known  as 
mysticism,  and  indeed  a  direct  spiritual  descendant 
of  William  Blake,  whom  he  loved  and  understood. 
He  belonged  by  birthright  to  that  company  of 
prophets  and  seers  to  whom  alone  the  underlying 
truths  of  life  are  known,  and  who  are  slowly, 
slowly,  silently,  but  with  irresistible  progress,  for- 
ging their  way  to  a  universal  recognition,  tardy 
but  complete,  which,  for  all  we  know,  may  herald 
the  true  redemption  of  the  world.  Richard  For- 
est was  one  of  them,  obscure,  unhonored,  unrecog- 
nized, as  so  many  of  them  have  ever  been  through- 
out the  ages,  yet  bearers  of  the  torch  which  has 
shone  more  brightly  as  the  space  has  grown  into  a 
lengthening  distance.  In  addition  to  his  interest 
in  the  writings  of  the  mystics,  he  possessed  a  really 
remarkable  gift  of  painting,  preferably  in  water- 
colors,  always  succeeding  best  when  he  worked  at 
a  subject  from  memory  or  from  vision  —  dream 
vision  or  waking  vision ;  for  he  then  gave  an  inter- 
pretation of  it  which,  in  some  indefinable  fashion, 
added  a  mystic  meaning  to  its  outer  semblance. 
He  loved,  too,  to  try  his  hand  at  illumination  and 


56       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

decorative  design,  and  when  he  was  not  deep  in 
his  books,  he  was  always  busy  with  his  brush  and 
pencil.  So  the  hours  at  home,  which  might  have 
been  irksome  to  others,  were  to  him  times  of  real 
and  unfailing  delight;  and  he  walked,  cycled,  and 
visited  those  of  his  parishioners  who  had  not  made 
a  rigid  rule  of  always  shutting  the  door  in  the 
parson's  face.  He  conducted  his  simple  services 
without  affection,  and  preached  little  jewels  of 
sermons  set  in  a  fine  and  delicate  workmanship. 
They  were  entirely  free  from  dogma  and  doctrine, 
and  appealed,  vainly  of  course,  to  the  spiritual 
lying  dormant  in  every  one,  apart  from  recognized 
religion.  No  one,  naturally  enough,  understood 
these  sermons;  but  they  were  considered  by  the 
few  who  heard  them  to  be  rather  good,  because 
un-understandable.  They  were,  in  fact,  the  one 
thing  about  him  of  which  the  community  was  be- 
coming slowly,  surlily,  and  silently  proud.  He 
laughed  when  he  first  learnt  this,  and  then  was 
angry.  His  sermons  were  to  him  the  least  impor- 
tant part  of  the  ministration  which  he  had  been 
so  eager  to  offer  to  them,  and  which  they  had 
rejected.  In  spite  of  his  struggles  to  the  con- 
trary, he  resented  their  indifference  to  his  per- 
sonal influence,  and  was  often  furious  over  the 
rebuffs  he  received.  He  was  by  nature  hot-tem- 
pered, and  gave  way  to  attacks  of  uncontrolled 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       57 

anger,  which  at  first  terrified  old  Mrs.  Eustace, 
and  finally  amused  her. 

"  If  tempers  send  folk  to  paradise,  then  the 
dear  young  master  is  bound  to  go,"  she  said  to 
herself  time  after  time,  with  a  twinkle  in  her  eye. 

But  she  always  concluded  with: 

"  Well,  well,  it  be  only  top  dust,  easily  brushed 
off  without  no  trouble." 

And  it  was  true  enough  that  he  soon  recovered 
from  his  outbreaks,  and  passed  through  a  quick 
and  chastened  stage  of  penitence  to  the  cheerful- 
ness which  had  in  it  something  of  boyish  charm. 

The  dilapidated  condition  of  the  church  was 
one  of  his  trials  which  he  did  not  always  bear  with 
Christian  fortitude.  He  was  sometimes  exceed- 
ingly depressed  and  at  other  times  shockingly 
cross  that  there  should  be  no  one  in  the  neigh- 
borhood to  come  forward  and  help  with  the  ex- 
penses of  the  much  needed  repairs.  The  old 
manor  house  had  long  since  been  deserted,  and 
the  property  was  in  that  fixed  and  mysterious 
state  "  in  Chancery."  The  lay  rector  who  owned 
the  chancel,  invariably  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  Rich- 
ard Forest's  appeals.  The  people  of  the  country- 
side were  poor.  There  was  in  fact  no  one  who 
either  could  or  would  trouble  himself  to  spare  a 
thought  for  the  vicar  or  a  penny  for  the  church. 
Richard  Forest,  after  many  disappointments,  saw 


58       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

that  he  could  hope  for  no  help,  and  that  he  must 
give  up  all  ambitious  schemes  of  real  restoration, 
and  content  himself  with  only  a  few  patchings  up 
of  a  humble  nature,  and  moreover  pay  for  these 
out  of  his  own  slender  means.  Gladly  enough, 
but  how?  That  had  been  the  difficulty,  and  he 
puzzled  over  it,  and  made  his  brain  reel  over 
estimates  of  costs  and  possible  and  impossible 
economies  in  his  simple  life. 

The  only  solution  of  the  problem  was  to  sell 
the  pearl  and  ruby  crucifix  which  had  belonged 
to  his  sister  Margaret.  But  he  was  most  reluctant 
to  part  with  it.  It  had  been  her  most  cherished 
possession,  left  her  by  an  old  French  countess  in 
Provence,  and  she  had  owned  it  for  a  number  of 
years.  But  when  she  came  to  Herne  and  saw 
the  neglected  general  condition  of  the  church  and 
the  especially  bad  state  of  the  roof,  she  had  begged 
him  to  accept  it  from  her,  sell  it,  and  begin  a  few 
of  the  repairs.  This  thought  burnt  itself  into 
her  brain  during  her  short  illness. 

'  The  roof  —  disgraceful  —  the  pearl  and  ruby 
crucifix  —  sell  it,  sell  it,"  she  murmured  repeat- 
edly. 

Richard  could  not  bring  himself  to  give  it  up. 
It  had  always  seemed  to  be  part  of  Margaret, 
and  he  struggled  for  a  long  time  with  his  wish  to 
keep  it  in  memory  of  her.  She  had  been  fifteen 
years  his  senior,  and  he  had  known  and  noticed 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       59 

that  crucifix  ever  since  he  could  remember.  As 
a  little  child  he  had  even  understood  vaguely  that 
it  was  the  cause  of  family  religious  discussion. 
But  Margaret  had  clung  to  it  with  a  pertinacity 
which  finally  overcame  all  opposition,  and  it  out- 
lived its  stormy  past.  He  also  clung  to  it  now, 
and  it  was  only  after  great  suffering  that  he  re- 
solved to  carry  out  her  wishes  and  part  with  it. 
So  one  day,  suddenly,  he  took  it  up  to  London, 
and  went  first  to  T.  Scott,  dealer  in  antique  jewel- 
ry. Tamar  never  knew  how  reluctantly  he  had 
entered  her  shop  that  day. 

But  now  the  pang  of  sacrifice  was  over,  he  was 
experiencing  an  anticipation  of  pride  and  pleasure 
in  being  able  soon  to  start  the  repairs.  And  this 
morning,  as  he  finished  the  service  and  rose  from 
his  knees,  he  glanced  towards  the  roofing  over  the 
left  transept  and  said  in  a  whisper: 

"  Yes,  Margaret.  The  crucifix  has  been  sold, 
and  the  roof  will  be  mended." 

He  had  not  mentioned  the  subject  to  Mrs. 
Eustace,  probably  because  he  wanted  to  be  sure 
that  he  dared  undertake  the  expense.  But  he  told 
her  this  morning,  when  she  followed  him  as  usual 
into  the  vestry,  to  hang  up  his  surplice  safely. 
For  it  was  his  shocking  custom  to  leave  it  in  a 
heap  on  the  floor,  if  he  happened  to  be  in  a 
specially  abstracted  mood. 

"  Mrs.  Eustace,"  he  said,  his  face  smiling  with 


60       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

pleasure,  "  now  I'm  going  to  tell  you  something 
which  I've  been  keeping  as  a  secret.  Listen.  At 
last  the  roof  is  going  to  be  mended." 

"  Time  it  was,  I'm  sure,"  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  sadly.     "  I  know  that." 

"  No  fault  of  yours,  sir,"  she  remarked  sooth- 
ingly. "  It  was  them  others." 

"  Perhaps  they  could  not  help  themselves,"  he 
answered.  "  Perhaps  there  were  too  many  diffi- 
culties." And  he  whispered  to  himself :  "  Also 
there  was  no  pearl  and  ruby  crucifix. 

"  Anyway,"  he  said,  "  the  hole  and  the  disgrace 
will  soon  be  things  of  the  past.  So  I  feel  ex- 
ceedingly happy,  in  a  very  good  temper,  and  fear- 
fully hungry.  And  I  must  own  that  it  is  better 
to  have  the  service  half  an  hour  later.  We'll  al- 
ways keep  it  at  this  hour." 

"  Good  news  all  round,"  said  Mrs.  Eustace. 
"  We  must  have  ginger  pudding  for  dinner." 

Richard  laughed  and  passed  through  the  vestry 
door  into  the  churchyard,  where  little  black  Skib, 
Margaret's  schipperke,  was  waiting  for  him,  faith- 
fully but  reproachfully,  at  the  foot  of  the  old 
preaching  cross.  Skib  also  loved  not  these  early 
morning  services,  but,  imitating  Mrs.  Eustace,  did 
not  allow  his  personal  discomfort  to  interfere  with 
his  loyalty.  Every  weary  morning  he  turned  out 
of  his  comfortable  basket  and  braced  himself  up 
to  meet  the  sacred  daily  calamity,  strengthened, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       61 

it  is  true,   by  reconciling  visions  of  the  "  after 
bone." 

He  followed  his  master  now  into  the  house, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  was  busily  engaged  in  gnaw- 
ing at  the  materialized  expression  of  his  fantasy, 
a  satisfactory  and  sweet  piece  of  shin,  whilst  Rich- 
ard, seated  at  breakfast  in  the  paneled  living- 
room,  sipped  some  piping  hot  coffee,  and  opened 
a  letter  addressed  to  him  in  an  unknown  hand- 
writing. This  was  the  letter :  — 

"SiR, —  You  may  perhaps  recall  the  name  of 
T.  Scott,  dealer  in  antique  jewelry.  You  offered 
to  show  me  your  Norman  font.  I  am  stopping 
at  Kineton  to-night,  as  I  have  to  attend  a  sale  at 
Meyntoun  Moat  to-morrow  at  twelve  o'clock. 
Your  church  appears  to  be  only  four  or  five  miles 
off,  so  shall  drive  over  before  eleven  in  the  morn- 
ing. T.  SCOTT." 

A  flush  of  excitement  passed  over  his  face.  So 
he  was  to  meet  her  again  and  almost  at  once. 
He  was  to  have  the  opportunity  of  telling  her 
personally  that  through  her  kindness  and  her  ad- 
vice he  had  realized  £36  on  the  rubies  and  £4 
on  the  pearls  and  crucifix.  He  would  actually  be 
able  to  show  her  how  he  was  going  to  spend  that 
money,  and  she  would  see  for  herself  that  the 
impulse  to  which  she  had  yielded  on  his  behalf, 


62       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

had  brought  into  the  regions  of  possibility  the 
fulfillment  of  a  pious  work. 

She  had  been  pervading  his  thoughts  and  even 
his  prayers.  He  saw  her  standing  before  him, 
stern,  mercenary,  pitiless  in  her  dealings,  accus- 
tomed to  drive  hard  bargains.  This  impression 
of  her,  vague  at  the  time,  had  gained  strength  of 
outline  since  the  afternoon  when  he  entered  her 
shop  and  offered  her  the  crucifix.  But  his  belief 
in  some  secret  spring  of  grace  in  her  had  also 
gathered  force  and  vigor.  She  had  tried  to  mis- 
lead him.  That  was  quite  evident,  even  to  him. 
Suddenly  she  had  repented  and  tried  to  help  him. 
Some  inner  prompting  had  aroused  her  to  a  con- 
sciousness, evanescent  though  it  might  be,  of 
"  truths  that  wake,  to  perish  never,"  and  he  had 
a  sure  hope  that  the  good  in  her  would  prevail, 
in  spite  of  the  temptations  to  which  her  business 
and  her  character  might  expose  her.  He  knew, 
of  course,  nothing  about  her  character.  The  in- 
tricacies  and  subtleties  of  a  person  like  Tamar 
would  always  have  remained  to  him  unsolved,  per- 
haps unperceived  problems;  but  spiritual  instinct 
told  him  that  she  was  of  this  world,  worldly, 
and  that  her  treasures  were  being  laid  up  on  earth. 
So  he  had  prayed  for  her,  in  the  little  desolate 
church  and  in  the  old  haunted  vicarage.  Tamar 
herself  might  have  bestowed  an  indulgent  smile 
on  him  if  she  had  heard  the  simple  and  unsec- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       63 

tarian  words  falling  from  his  lips  on  her  behalf: 
"  Let  the  shrine  of  the  secret  of  life  be  opened 
to  her,  so  that  she  may  recognize  the  true  and 
rarest  jewels." 

Her  letter  put  him  in  excellent  spirits,  and  he 
gulped  down  his  breakfast,  romped  with  little 
black  Skib,  and  went  off  whistling  happily  to  fetch 
his  cycle  out  of  the  shed.  He  believed  he  would 
have  time  to  call  on  a  sick  old  shepherd  about 
five  miles  off,  and  yet  be  back  to  receive  T.  Scott 
at  eleven  o'clock.  But  on  reflection,  he  decided 
that  this  was  an  unwise  plan.  Supposing  he  missed 
T.  Scott?  That  would  never  do.  No,  the  shep- 
herd could  wait  an  hour  or  two.  Certainly  T. 
Scott  never  would  wait.  He  also  could  not  wait. 
Besides,  she  might  come  early. 

He  was  too  much  excited  to  settle  down  to  his 
studying  or  painting.  He  therefore  determined 
to  go  along  the  Kineton  Road  and  meet  T.  Scott. 
Suppose  that  she  took  a  wrong  turning  at  the 
cross  roads  and  then  found  she  had  not  enough 
time  left  to  come  to  Herne.  This  mischance  must 
certainly  be  prevented.  He  must  start  off  at 
once.  He  seized  his  straw  hat,  called  out  some 
wholly  unintelligible  words  to  Mrs.  Eustace,  who 
took  no  notice  of  them,  and  dashed  up  the  long 
and  steep  hill,  pushing  his  machine  gayly  along. 
When  he  reached  the  high  road,  he  stood  looking, 
now  at  the  lovely  view  spread  generously  before 


64      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

him,  and  now  at  the  shut-in  hollow  in  the  hills 
which  contained  the  tiny  hamlet  and  its  old 
church. 

"  What  a  contrast !  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  And 
yet  I  should  not  have  liked  to  live  up  here  away 
from  the  church.  I  am  glad  I  went  to  the  old 
haunted  vicarage." 

He  mounted  his  cycle,  and  had  gone  only  a 
few  yards  along  the  Kineton  Road  when  he  saw 
a  crazy  little  four-wheeled  trap  approaching 
slowly,  drawn  by  a  decrepit  white  pony,  and  driven 
by  an  old  man  of  the  time  of  Moses.  Richard 
hastened  to  meet  it,  for  his  eager  eyes  had  caught 
sight  of  T.  Scott. 

She  nodded  to  him,  and  smiled  in  a  sulky,  re- 
luctant sort  of  way,  which,  in  Tamar,  implied  a 
remarkable  degree  of  friendliness. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  I've  come  to  see  your  Nor- 
man font." 

"  It  is  good  of  you  to  come  all  the  way  from 
Kineton,"  he  said,  his  face  coloring  with  excite- 
ment. "  And  good  of  you  to  spare  the  time. 
Perhaps  you  will  care  to  get  out  and  walk  down 
this  steep  hill.  My  little  church  lies  in  a  hollow 
of  the  hills." 

"  It's  a  pity  you  have  to  leave  this  splendid 
view,"  Tamar  said  as  she  stepped  out  of  the  trap. 
'  They  ought  to  give  you  a  vicarage,  or  whatever 
you  call  it,  on  the  top  of  the  hill." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      65 

"  They  offered  me  a  little  house  on  the  Kineton 
Road,"  he  said.  "  You  passed  it  on  your  way. 
But  I  preferred  the  time-honored  old  vicarage  ad- 
joining the  church;  not  because  I  don't  love  the 
expanse,  but  because  I  wished  to  live  within  the 
precincts  of  the  church." 

They  strolled  together  down  the  hill  until  they 
reached  the  vicarage  gate. 

"  This  is  your  vicarage,  I  suppose  ?  "  she  asked, 
staring  at  the  desolate  and  dilapidated  old  house. 

He  assented  with  the  quiet  dignity  which  was 
characteristic  of  him,  and  Tamar  remained  silent, 
repressing,  out  of  consideration  for  him,  an  un- 
favorable comment  which  rose  to  her  lips. 

He  read  her  thoughts,  for  he  said: 

"  I  like  it.  It  is  not  desolate  to  me,  even 
though  it  is  supposed  to  be  haunted." 

"  Well,  it  looks  like  its  reputation,"  Tamar 
observed.  "Aren't  you  afraid  of  living  here? 
I  should  be." 

"Afraid?"  he  said  simply.  "Certainly  not. 
Why  should  any  one  be  afraid  of  the  so-called 
dead?" 

'  The  so-called  dead,"  she  repeated  slowly. 
'  Then  you  don't  believe  that  people  die  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  answered  quietly.  "  Shall  we 
go  now  to  the  church?  You  might  like  to  see 
my  old  oak-paneled  room  afterwards,  if  you  have 
the  time." 


66      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

She  followed  him  through  the  gap  in  the  hedge 
which  bounded  the  churchyard.  She  noticed  that 
there  had  once  been  a  gate  which  had  disappeared, 
and  she  saw  everywhere  signs  of  poverty  and  long 
neglect.  Again  he  appeared  to  divine  her 
thoughts. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  glancing  round,  "  I  admit  it 
will  take  a  very  long  time  before  the  graves  and 
stones  are  put  in  decent  order  and  before  the 
churchyard  becomes  a  smiling  garden.  But  that 
is  what  I  intend  it  shall  be." 

"Is  there  any  one  to  care?"  she  asked 
brusquely. 

11  No,"  he  replied.     "  No.     But  7  care." 

He  opened  the  vestry  door  and  they  passed 
into  the  church.  Tamar  thought  that  never  in 
her  life  had  she  seen  such  a  shabby  and  tumble- 
down church.  It  looked  all  the  more  dilapidated 
because,  obviously,  some  recent  attempt  had  been 
made  to  modify  its  woeful  appearance  and  con- 
dition. But  nothing  could  disguise  its  poverty. 
Nothing  could  conceal  the  large  gap  in  the  roof. 
Everything  was  in  need  of  ordinary  work-a-day 
repair,  quite  apart  from  the  luxury  of  restoration. 
The  old  rood  screen  had  gone  to  rack  and  ruin 
for  want  of  care.  The  Elizabethan  pulpit  was 
cracked  and  split  in  every  direction.  The  flag- 
stones were  broken  and  discolored  from  the  damp. 
The  pews  were  awry  because  the  boarding  be- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      67 

neath  them  had  sunk  with  the  ground.  It  was  a 
scene  calculated  to  fill  the  most  indifferent  heart 
with  concern  and  depression.  Tamar  turned  to  the 
young  clergyman  standing  silently  by  her  side  in 
the  chancel. 

"  I  should  love  to  get  hold  of  one  of  your 
bishops  or  archbishops  and  cage  him  here  for  a 
few  months,"  she  said.  "  Yes,  I  assure  you  I 
should  like  to  make  him  *  do  time  '  here.  I  never 
saw  such  a  place." 

"  Ah,  but  it  won't  always  be  like  this,"  Richard 
Forest  said  triumphantly.  "  Thanks  to  your  kind- 
ness, we  begin  to-morrow  on  the  roof." 

"  My  kindness?  "  Tamar  repeated. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  he  said  eagerly.  "  I  followed  your 
advice  about  the  pearl  and  ruby  crucifix.  I  sold 
the  rubies  separately  and  got  £36  for  them.  And 
£4  for  the  pearls  and  crucifix." 

"I   offered  you   four  guineas,   didn't  I?"  she 
said. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered. 

"  Well,  you  couldn't  have  mended  the  gap  in 
the  roof  with  four  guineas,  could  you?"  she  said 
carelessly. 

"  No,"  he  said  smiling.  "  And  I  had  set  my 
heart  on  that.  That,  and  the  reconstructing  of 
the  pews.  I  can't  tell  you  how  much  I  thank  you 
for  your  help.  I  wish  my  sister,  to  whom  the 
crucifix  belonged,  could  be  here  to  thank  you  too. 


68       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Yet  she  must  know  and  thank  you  from  afar." 

"Where  is  she?  Why  isn't  she  with  you  in 
this  lonely  place?"  Tamar  asked  with  curious 
fierceness. 

"  She  is  —  well,  dead;  though  she  is  not  dead  to 
me.  Her  true  presence  is  here,"  Richard  Forest 
said  quietly.  "  She  —  died  here,  about  two 
months  after  we  came." 

He  remained  silent  a  moment,  and  went  on : 

"  It  seems  only  a  few  weeks  since  we  stood 
together  on  this  very  spot,  and  she  offered  to  sell 
that  crucifix  and  have  the  roof  mended.  We  had 
learnt  by  that  time  that  there  was  no  one  in  the 
neighborhood  to  come  forward  and  help  with  the 
work.  We  had  to  do  it  ourselves.  We  had  no 
money.  But  Margaret  had  that  crucifix.  It  was 
a  legacy  from  an  old  French  lady  in  Provence 
to  whom  my  sister  had  shown  some  kindness  in 
illness.  She  valued  it  greatly.  But  she  wished  it 
to  be  used  in  this  way. 

"  It  cost  me  a  great  deal  to  part  with  it,  and 
I  fought  with  myself  a  long  time  before  I  felt 
able  to  carry  out  her  wish." 

Tamar  made  no  comment,  but  stood  staring  at 
the  gap  in  the  roof  and  frowning. 

"  Now  I  must  show  you  my  splendid  old  Nor- 
man font,"  he  said  brightly,  signing  to  her  to 
follow  him  down  the  nave.  '  This  at  least  is  a 
treasure,  isn't  it?  An  antiquarian  told  me  that 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       69 

there  is  no  finer  specimen  in  the  whole  country. 
This  is  what  I  thought  you  might  like  to  see, 
you  know.  I  have  reason  to  be  proud  of  it, 
haven't  I?" 

"  Yes,"  she  answered;  and  as  she  glanced  at  his 
face,  she  saw  once  more  that  amazing  radiance, 
the  memory  of  which  had  been  haunting  her  and 
had  led  her  footsteps  in  this  direction.  The 
thought  again  passed  through  her  mind  that  he 
was  "  something  set  apart,"  some  spirit  dwelling 
apart,  to  whom  poverty,  desolation,  and  death 
presented  visions  veiled  to  meaner  eyes.  She 
stared  long  at  the  font,  but  it  was  not  of  the  font 
that  she  was  thinking.  She  was  thinking  that  she 
was  ashamed  to  have  tried  to  cheat  him.  For 
the  first  time  in  her  life  T.  Scott  was  ashamed 
of  her  instinct  for  plunder.  In  the  exaltation  of 
this  passing  mood  it  was  not  enough  for  her 
that  she  had  put  him  on  the  right  way  to  realize 
a  proper  value  for  his  sister's  crucifix.  She  was 
seized  with  a  sincere  wish  to  make  personal  repara- 
tion to  him,  and  at  once.  She  closed  her  eyes, 
and  saw  a  vivid  mental  picture  of  the  desolate 
church,  the  dreary  vicarage,  and  the  lonely  young 
clergyman  accepting  his  circumstances  and  difficul- 
ties without  bittetaiess  of  heart.  Some  one  must 
help  him  to  make  that  churchyard  into  a  smiling 
garden,  and  the  church  itself  at  least  weather- 
proof, if  nothing  more.  If  there  were  no  one 


70      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

else,  then  she  must  be  the  person.  Her  right 
hand  sought  her  pocket;  but  the  next  moment  she 
had  changed  her  mind,  and  with  a  sigh  of  relief, 
as  though  she  had  escaped  some  grave  danger,  she 
transferred  that  right  hand  to  the  outside  of  her 
coat,  where  it  clutched  convulsively  at  one  of  the 
buttons. 

"  No,"  she  said  to  herself,  her  face  tense  with 
the  struggle  through  which  she  was  silently  pass- 
ing. "No;  certainly  not.  Why  should  I?" 

But  once  more  her  hand  stole  to  her  pocket. 
She  made  a  last  determined  effort  to  restrain  its 
further  activity  by  thinking  of  something  of  far 
more  importance  to  her  than  a  perfectly  unneces- 
sary impulse  of  contrition. 

"Where  did  he  sell  the  rubies?"  she  asked 
herself.  "  I  must  find  out,  and  get  Christopher 
Bramfield  to  buy  them  back.  I  must  have  them. 
I  liked  them." 

The  question  rose  to  her  lips,  but  died  there. 
The  thought  perished  in  her  brain,  to  be  reborn 
later  on.  She  drew  out  her  pocketbook  slowly, 
reluctantly,  opened  it,  and  went  through  the  con- 
tents until  she  found  what  she  sought.  It  was 
Adrian  Steele's  check  for  £19.  * 

"  I  shan't  miss  it,"  she  saj»to  herself.  "  It 
came  unexpectedly.  He  can  nave  it.  I  shan't 
miss  it." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       71 

She  stared  at  it,  and  a  grim  smile  stole  over  her 
face. 

"  Rather  amusing  to  think  of  Adrian  and  me 
helping  to  restore  a  church,"  she  said  to  herself. 

She  turned  to  Richard  Forest. 

"Where  is  your  collection  box?  "  she  asked  in 
her  brusque  way. 

"  There  is  none,"  he  answered,  flushing  a  little. 
"  I  found  none  when  I  came." 

"  Then  take  this  from  me,"  Tamar  said,  hand- 
ing him  the  check.  "  Add  it  to  the  money  for  the 
crucifix." 

He  took  the  check,  glanced  at  it,  glanced  at 
her,  and  stood  motionless,  with  a  perplexed  look 
on  his  face.  He  did  not  seem  to  grasp  the  situa- 
tion. 

"  Add  it  to  the  money  for  the  crucifix,"  Tamar 
repeated  slowly.  "  Call  it  —  call  it  —  well  — 
my  —  my  —  conscience  money." 

Suddenly  he  understood  that  she  had  again 
yielded  to  some  inner  spiritual  prompting,  and  a 
wave  of  gladness  swept  over  him.  He  rejoiced 
in  the  generous  gift  itself,  and  in  the  blossoming 
of  yet  another  flower  of  grace. 

"  Do  you  really  mean  this?  "  he  said  joyously. 
"  Do  you  know,  I  can  scarcely  believe  my  senses. 
Do  you  really  mean  this?  " 

"  I  shan't  mean  it  for  long  if  you  don't  hasten 


72       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

to  accept  it,"  Tamar  said.  "  I  part  with  my  money 
not  very  easily,  I  assure  you." 

"But  I  do  hasten  to  accept  it!"  the  young 
fellow  laughed.  "  I  accept  it  with  gladness  and 
gratitude  and  understanding.  And,  you  see,  it  is 
all  the  more  valuable  since  you  don't  part  with 
your  money  easily,  isn't  it?  " 

Tamar  smiled  at  hearing  her  own  comment  on 
herself  repeated  by  Richard  Forest  in  his  eager 
excitement.  The  church,  as  a  church,  mattered 
not  to  her  at  all;  but  she  was  curiously  happy  to 
have  made  him  so  happy.  For  the  moment  she 
did  not  grudge  the  check,  nor  regret  her  gener- 
osity. She  forgot  that  she  had  intended  to  add 
the  money  to  the  amount  which  she  proposed  to 
spend  at  the  Meyntoun  Moat  sale,  and  she  forgot 
that  the  time  was  passing,  and  that  she  ought  to 
be  retracing  her  steps  to  Kineton.  She  lingered 
on,  listened  to  his  plans  for  restoring  the  church, 
and  took  note  of  the  Early  Perpendicular  window, 
the  delicate  intersecting  pillars,  and  some  faint 
remaining  traces  of  frescoes  on  the  wall  of.  the 
right  aisle. 

She  .even  asked  how  far  his  registers  and 
churchwardens'  accounts  went  back,  and  expressed 
a  wish  to  see  them.  He  told  her  that  he  was 
copying  them  out,  and  that  he  would  show  them 
to  her  in  the  vicarage.  She  was  deeply  interested 
when  he  told  her  that  the  church  had  once  pos- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       73 

sessed  a  valuable  old  Bible,  which  had  been  mys- 
teriously stolen. 

"  I  should  like  to  have  seen  it,"  she  said,  "  and 
needless  to  observe,  I  should  have  liked  to  own 
it." 

Richard  laughed  happily. 

"  There  is  an  entry  in  the  churchwardens'  ac- 
counts which  I  believe  refers  to  it,"  he  said.  '  The 
date  is  1578.  I've  looked  it  up,  and  find  that 
it's  the  date  of  the  first  edition  of  the  Geneva 
Bible  for  use  in  churches.  I  can't  help  thinking 
that  this  is  the  Bible  which  local  tradition  says 
disappeared  about  a  hundred  years  ago.  I  heard 
the  tradition  first  from  an  old  shepherd,  the  friend- 
liest of  all  my  flock,  who  had  it  direct  from  his 
father.  He  says  it  was  an  old  brown  leather  book 
with  much  brass  on  it.  And  this  very  entry  men- 
tions brass  clasps.  I  must  show  it  to  you.  I  can 
put  my  finger  on  it  at  once.  I  am  always  looking 
at  it." 

Tamar  nodded,  and  they  passed  out  of  the 
church.  He  was  pointing  out  to  her  the  witch's 
grave,  over  which  the  grass  was  said  never  to 
grow,  when  she  suddenly  remembered  that  she 
had  left  the  Meyntoun  Moat  catalogue  behind  in 
a  pew.  At  the  same  moment,  the  tower  clock 
began  to  strike  the  hour  of  eleven.  Bibles,  regis- 
ters, roofs,  intersecting  pillars  and  Norman  fonts 
were  at  once  instantly  forgotten.  Her  mind  leapt 


74       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

back  to  business.  Her  face  hardened,  by  imme- 
diate and  magic  transformation. 

"  I  must  go,"  she  said  brusquely.  "  I  shall  be 
late  for  the  sale." 

Richard  saw  the  subtle  change  which  had  come 
over  her  manner  and  her  countenance,  and  guessed 
that  she  had  returned  to  her  commercial  concerns, 
from  which  there  would  be  no  recalling  her.  In- 
deed, she  had  hurried  into  the  church,  seized  her 
catalogue,  hastened  through  the  churchyard  and 
taken  her  place  in  the  broken-down  little  trap,  be- 
fore he  had  recovered  from  the  surprise  of  her  ex- 
cessive abruptness. 

"  Good-by,"  she  said,  nodding  at  him.  '  Thank 
you  for  showing  me  your  church." 

"  Good-by,"  he  answered.  "  Thank  you  for 
coming,  and  for  — " 

She  cut  him  short  by  telling  the  old  man  to 
drive  on.  But  the  decrepit  white  pony  had 
scarcely  gone  a  few  yards  up  the  hill  when  she 
signed  to  the  driver  to  stop,  and,  turning  back, 
beckoned  imperiously  to  Richard  Forest.  He  ran 
up  to  the  side  of  the  trap. 

"  By  the  way,  it  would  interest  me  to  know 
where  you  sold  your  rubies,"  she  said  dreamily, 
as  though  the  matter  were  of  no  importance  to 
her. 

"At  Messrs.  Willoughby,  128  Holborn  Via- 
duct," he  said.  "  Shall  you  remember  it?  " 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       75 

She  nodded,  this  time  with  a  little  less  indiffer- 
ence, and  the  prehistoric  trap  passed  on.  Richard 
stood  watching  it  until  it  reached  the  top  of  the 
hill  and  turned  off,  out  of  sight.  Then  he  went 
straight  to  the  paneled  room,  closed  the  door, 
and  took  out  the  check,  at  which  he  looked  for 
a  long  time,  but  without  any  sign  of  his  former 
joyfulness. 

"  She  will  regret  it,"  he  said  to  himself  with 
great  sadness.  "  I  feel  sure  she  will  regret  it." 

He  locked  it  uj>  with  his  most  precious  papers. 


CHAPTER  V 

'  I  VAMAR  had  been  much  torn  by  the  memories 
•*•  and  emotions  stirred  up  by  Adrian  Steele's 
visit  to  her  shop.  She  fought  valiantly  and  ob- 
stinately with  herself,  but  she  could  not  banish 
him  from  her  brain,  and  with  her  mind's  eye  she 
saw  always  that  little,  well-known  figure  making 
silently  for  the  door,  dismissed  by  her  with  mer- 
ciless cruelty,  abandoned  by  her  in  an  hour  of  dis- 
tress. 

She  attempted  to  turn  her  thoughts  from  him 
by  giving  added  time  and  skill  to  her  favorite 
task  of  faking  antique  jewelry,  an  occupation 
which  was  always  a  source  of  interest  and  amuse- 
ment, especially  in  moments  of  depression.  Even 
that  failed  to  hold  her.  She  then  determined  to 
tidy  the  shop,  an  entirely  abnormal  proceeding, 
which  nearly  had  disastrous  results  on  her  aged 
servant's  nervous  system.  After  this  she  gave  the 
rein  to  her  restlessness  and  went  out  more  fre- 
quently. She  went  several  times  to  Christie's  and 
to  one  or  two  suburban  auction  sales,  where  she 
picked  up  several  bits  of  china  and  a  few  odd- 
ments of  jewelry  which,  so  her  practiced  eye  saw, 

76 


could  be  altered  into  profitable  disguises.  As 
she  found  that  her  mental  tension  was  eased  by 
these  outings,  she  resolved  to  take  a  whole  day 
and  night  off  and  go  into  Warwickshire  to  attend 
an  important  sale  taking  place  at  an  old  house 
called  Meyntoun  Moat.  She  had  been  studying 
the  catalogue  for  some  time,  but  it  was  not  until 
she  had  definitely  made  up  her  mind  for  the  jour- 
ney, that  she  looked  out  the  exact  spot  on  the 
map,  and  learnt  that  it  was  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  young  clergyman's  church,  not  far  from 
Kineton.  This  unexpected  discovery  stimulated 
her  in  her  decision,  for  her  thoughts  had  been 
turning  repeatedly  to  Richard  Forest.  He  had 
appealed  in  a  strange  way  to  something  secret 
and  hidden  in  that  part  of  her  nature  which  did 
duty  for  spirit.  Yes,  she  would  go  to  Herne 
Vicarage  and  see  him  in  his  own  surroundings, 
even  if  she  had  to  incur  the  expense  of  hiring  a 
trap  from  Kineton. 

She  arranged  her  plans  thus.  She  would  go 
one  day  before,  and  view  the  sale;  she  would  stop 
the  night  at  the  "  Prince  Rupert,"  and  early  in 
the  morning  drive  out  to  Herne,  arriving  there 
about  ten  o'clock;  she  would  leave  at  eleven,  and 
as  the  sale  did  not  begin  until  half-past  one,  she 
would  thus  have  plenty  of  time  to  get  to  Meyn- 
toun Moat.  She  put  the  map  aside  at  once,  took 
out  her  pen  and  wrote  to  Richard  Forest.  Whilst 


78       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

she  wrote,  some  of  the  craft  and  hardness  cleared 
from  her  face. 

"  Something  set  apart,"  she  said  aloud,  and  she 
sat  for  a  few  moments  lost  in  vague  thought. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders,  opened  the  cata- 
logue, and  began  studying  it  afresh  with  minute 
attention.  Amongst  the  silver,  she  noted  a  Dutch 
ship.  She  read  the  description  of  it  several  times 
and  nodded  her  head  approvingly. 

"  It  must  be  a  beauty,"  she  said  aloud.  "  And 
not  too  large,  only  thirty-two  inches  long.  Shall 
I  bid  for  it?  No.  On  the  whole,  no.  I  should 
have  to  give  up  the  other  things  which  will  be 
more  useful." 

But  an  idea  leapt  into  her  brain. 

"  Adrian  Steele  would  like  to  have  it,"  she  said. 
"  He  always  hankered  after  a  Dutch  ship  to  add 
to  his  silver  collection.  If  he  were  to  come  in 
now,  I  could  tell  him  of  it." 

For  in  spite  of  the  harsh  manner  in  which  she 
had  rebuffed  him,  she  half  believed  he  would 
return.  Scores  of  times  she  had  looked  up  from 
her  work  expecting  to  see  him  stroll  casually  into 
the  shop,  as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  prevent 
him  from  paying  her  a  second  visit.  She  had 
planned  to  herself  how  differently  she  would  re- 
ceive him  this  time,  and  how  she  would  unlock 
her  safe  and  show  him  some  of  her  treasures 
which  he  had  loved  to  see  in  the  past.  But  he 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      79 

had  not  come,  and  he  did  not  come  now.  Sud- 
denly another  thought  struck  her.  She  would 
send  him  the  Meyntoun  Moat  catalogue.  She 
would  mark,  not  only  the  Dutch  ship,  but  one 
or  two  other  Items  which  she  knew  would,  espe- 
cially attract  his  interest.  This  had  been  her 
custom  in  the  past;  her  one  attention  to  him, 
"  her  one  and  only  courtesy  in  life,"  as  he  had 
always  laughingly  said.  So  she  marked  the 
Dutch  ship,  and,  amongst  the  china,  a  peacock 
of  old  Chelsea,  and,  amongst  the  Limoges  enam- 
els, a  plate  illustrating  the  month  of  July,  a  har- 
vest scene.  She  turned  down  the  pages,  put 
the  catalogue  into  an  envelope,  addressed  it,  and 
without  waiting  to  consider  the  matter  further, 
went  out  and  posted  it  together  with  the  letter 
to  Richard  Forest. 

"  My  one  and  only  courtesy  in  life"  she  re- 
peated to  herself  grimly,  as  she  stood  before  the 
pillar-box.  "  More  than  seven  years  since  I  did 
anything  of  the  sort.  And  I'm  a  fool  to  do  it 
now.  Shall  I  do  it?  Isn't  it  better  business  that 
the  past  should  be  past?  " 

She  paused.  But  the  vision  of  the  little  figure 
rose  before  her.  A  great  yearning  to  see  him 
came  over  her.  She  dropped  the  catalogue  into 
the  box. 

Then  she  had  come  to  Kineton,  viewed  the  sale, 
visited  Richard  Forest,  abandoned  him  suddenly; 


80      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

and  now,  with  her  face  set  in  the  direction  of 
Meyntoun  Moat,  and  her  thoughts  turned  to- 
wards the  business  which  she  hoped  to  transact 
at  the  sale,  she  began  to  wonder  whether  Adrian 
Steele  would  be  present.  It  was  quite  likely  that 
he  might  come,  for  he  had  always  been  an  en- 
thusiastic collector,  and  Meyntoun  Moat  was 
known  to  contain  many  interesting  and  valuable 
treasures.  It  had  been  an  open  secret  amongst 
dealers  and  collectors  for  a  long  time  that,  on 
the  death  of  the  owner,  an  old  man  of  unerring 
artistic  judgment  and  instinct,  the  contents  of  the 
house  would  be  put  up  for  sale. 

Tamar  therefore  had  only  sent  Adrian  Steele 
a  reminder  of  what  he  probably  knew;  but  she 
believed  it  was  possible  that  this  definite  sign  of 
a  renewal  of  their  old  comradeship  might  increase 
the  chances  of  his  appearance  on  the  scenes.  It 
was  at  a  sale  in  Hertfordshire  that  they  had  first 
met,  and  their  first  conversation  and  dispute  had 
been  over  the  catalogue. 

But  although  she  wished  to  see  him,  her  mind 
was  for  the  moment  far  too  much  occupied  with 
business  schemes  and  calculations  of  probable 
profit  to  focus  on  anything  so  relatively  unim- 
portant as  a  human  being.  She  had  always  had 
the  power  of  dismissing  people  instantly  from 
her  brain  when  her  commercial  instincts  exacted 
from  her  an  imperious  and  concentrated  atten- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       81 

tion;  and  at  this  juncture  neither  Adrian  Steele 
nor  Richard  Forest  had  any  chance  against  Li- 
moges enamels,  a  Doge's  ring  which  she  greatly 
coveted,  Battersea  enamel  snuff  and  patch  boxes, 
and  several  small  bits  of  George  II.  silver,  to  say 
nothing  of  certain  antique  rings  and  brooches 
which  were  always  safe  investments.  Richard 
Forest,  indeed,  had  for  the  time  passed  entirely 
out  of  her  memory,  and  would  never  have  been 
recalled  that  morning,  but  that  in  again  making 
her  calculations  of  how  much  money  she  would 
spend  at  the  sale,  she  was  confronted  with  the 
hampering  fact  that  she  had  parted  with  that 
check  for  £19. 

"  Nineteen  pounds,"  she  said,  frowning. 
"  Nineteen  pounds.  I  must  have  been  mad.  A 
gap  in  the  roof.  Why  shouldn't  there  be  a  gap 
in  the  roof?  I  could  have  afforded  that  Cellini 
ornament.  I  must  have  been  mad." 

So  Richard  Forest  had  been  right  when  he 
looked  sorrowfully  at  the  check  and  said:  "  She 
will  regret  it." 

But  Tamar  had  not  a  great  deal  of  time  in 
which  to  repent  of  her  impulse  of  understanding 
and  generosity,  for  in  a  few  minutes  her  shabby 
little  trap  had  passed  into  the  fields  which  were 
the  remains  of  the  old  park,  and  before  long  she 
arrived  in  front  of  the  house  itself.  Motors  and 
conveyances  of  various  kinds  were  drawn  up  near 


82      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

the  stables,  which  were  situated  on  the  left-hand 
side  of  the  old  fortified  homestead,  and  separated 
from  it  by  the  moat.  On  the  bridge  which  had 
formerly  been  the  drawbridge,  stood  Adrian 
Steele,  leaning  against  the  wall  scanning  the 
coat-of-arms  over  the  massive  gate-house.  He 
glanced  round  as  Tamar  got  down  from  her  trap, 
but  he  made  no  movement  to  meet  her.  But 
when  she  was  near  him,  he  raised  his  hat  slightly 
and  said: 

"  This  is  an  interesting  place,  Tamar.  Quite 
one  of  the  most  interesting  I  have  seen.  These 
old  fortified  homesteads  are  historic  jewels. 
Judging  from  the  catalogue,  the  interior  must  be 
a  treasure  house.  I  suppose  you  have  already 
been  inside?  " 

4  Yes,  I  came  to  view  the  sale  yesterday,"  she 
said  abruptly;  but  her  brusqueness  could  not  con- 
ceal her  sullen  pleasure. 

"  Ah,  you  were  always  prudent,"  he  remarked 
cheerfully.  "Well,  shall  we  go  in  now?" 

She  nodded,  and  without  further  interchange 
of  words,  they  joined  forces  and  passed  through 
the  gate-house  entrance  into  the  beautiful  little 
courtyard,  round  which  the  house  formed  a 
massive  square.  It  was  characteristic  of  them 
both  that  they  remained  at  first  entirely  silent  on 
the  subject  of  the  catalogue,  even  though  Adrian 
Steele  carried  it  in  his  hand  and  held  it  open  at 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      83 

the  page  where  Tamar  had  marked  the  Dutch 
ship.  Tamar  glanced  at  it  and  smiled  imper- 
ceptibly. Perhaps  there  was  a  slight  smile  on 
Adrian's  face  which  he  immediately  repressed. 

Tamar  did  not  care  to  wait  for  him  whilst  he 
lingered  taking  his  first  survey  of  the  picturesque 
old  place.  She  hurried  through  the  great  hall 
to  the  dining-room  where  the  silver,  the  china,  the 
antique  jewelry,  the  Limoges  enamels  and  the 
various  kinds  of  patch  and  snuff  boxes  had  been 
collected  together.  She  was  anxious  to  be  sure 
that  she  had  made  wise  choices,  and  she  took  this 
opportunity  of  reconsidering  some  of  the  limits 
of  prices  which  she  was  prepared  to  pay;  for  she 
was  exceedingly  cautious,  and  never  let  her  en- 
thusiasm, nor  her  irritation  at  being  outbidden, 
run  away  with  her  commercial  common  sense. 

Suddenly  she  looked  up  and  observed  a  tall, 
rather  robust  man  who  was  standing  near  her. 
He  was  evidently  much  interested  in  the  cata- 
logue, which  he  was  consulting  with  really  boyish 
pleasure.  He  went  straight  to  the  Dutch  ship, 
and  compared  the  description  of  it  with  its  real 
appearance.  He  seemed  satisfied,  for  he  nodded 
his  head  approvingly,  made  some  calculations  in 
his  catalogue  and  nodded  again,  smiling  to  him- 
self in  that  quietly  inane  way  which  betrays  the 
ardent  lover  of  antique  treasures.  At  that  mo- 
ment Adrian  Steele  arrived.  The  tall  man  saw 


84      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

him.  A  curious  and  immediate  change  came  over 
his  countenance.  The  boyish  pleasure,  the  col- 
lector's rapture  gave  way  to  some  fierce  and  un- 
controlled anger.  Tamar,  watching  like  a  lynx, 
noted  the  turbulence  on  the  stranger's  face  and 
the  calm  on  Adrian  Steele's. 

"  Well,  Steele,"  the  stranger  said  excitedly. 
"  I  suppose  you've  had  my  last  letter?  " 

"  Yes,  I  received  a  communication  from  you 
which  I  am  intending  to  pass  on  to  my  solicitors," 
Steele  said  quietly,  with  a  touch  of  his  Napoleonic 
manner  which  had  always  been  his  effective 
weapon  in  moments  of  difficulty. 

"  I  intend,"  said  the  other,  "  I  intend  that  this 
affair  shall  be  investigated — " 

"  Pardon  me,"  interrupted  Steele  with  unruffled 
serenity,  "  this  is  not  my  private  office.  I  wish 
it  were.  I  can  imagine  no  more  agreeable  spot 
for  that  purpose.  I  came  here  on  other  matters 
to  which  I  must  now  attend." 

Tamar,  to  all  outward  appearance  concerned 
only  with  her  own  affairs,  listened  with  bated 
breath,  hoping  to  hear  further  details.  But  the 
encounter  terminated  as  abruptly  as  it  had  begun. 
The  stranger  dashed  out  of  the  room,  and  Adrian 
Steele  advanced  composedly  to  the  table  and  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  the  Dutch  ship. 
'Yes,  it  is  a  fine  specimen,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  Tamar  said. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       85 

"  An  honest  description  of  it  too,"  he  added, 
consulting  the  place  in  the  catalogue  marked  by 
Tamar's  own  hand.  "  Model  of  old  Dutch 
fighting  ship,  late  fifteenth  century.  In  full  sail. 
Thirty-two  inches  long.  In  the  shape  of  a  dol- 
phin, beautifully  embossed  with  mermaids  or  sea- 
horses. Cherubs  flying  about  in  the  air.  A 
mermaid  with  a  lyre  making  entrancing  music. 
Do  you  see  her,  Tamar?  And  there's  Neptune. 
He  is  evidently  very  pleased  with  her,  isn't  he? 
And  there  are  the  look-outs  at  the  mastheads,  and 
the  fighting-tops,  and  the  cannon,  and  the  men 
climbing  up  the  rigging.  And  the  lamp  at  the 
stern.  Ah,  and  here's  the  anchor  hanging  over 
the  side.  Well,  I  think  it  is  a  splendid  little  fel- 
low. Not  too  big.  I  have  always  wanted  one 
of  these  Dutch  ships.  I  shall  try  and  get  it. 
What  have  you  got  your  eye  on,  Tamar?  " 

Then  in  a  half-reluctant  way  she  pointed  out 
to  him  the  objects  which  she  intended  to  buy, 
provided  the  prices  were  not  run  up  beyond  her 
carefully  calculated  limit.  She  did  not  mention 
the  Doge's  ring  because  she  feared  he  might  pos- 
sibly want  that  himself;  but  she  showed  him  the 
Cellini  ornament,  the  snuff-boxes,  one  or  two  of 
the  Limoges  enamels,  and  some  of  the  antique 
jewels.  Later,  they  wandered  upstairs  into  the 
other  rooms,  glancing  at  the  fine  old  furniture, 
the  sale  of  which  was  to  take  place  on  the  fol- 


86      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

lowing  day;  and  finally  they  found  themselves  in 
the  chapel,  and,  by  means  of  the  guidebook,  dis- 
covered in  the  adjoining  little  sacristy  the  opening 
to  the  well  staircase  leading  under  the  moat. 
They  scarcely  spoke.  They  were  both  preoc- 
cupied, and  to  the  outside  world  they  could  easily 
have  passed  for  two  strangers  unacquainted  with 
each  other,  who  had  chanced  to  come  together 
on  the  same  business,  and  had  chosen  tacitly  for 
the  time  to  keep  each  other  company. 

Tamar  was  thinking  chiefly  of  her  own  affairs, 
but  she  was  also  scheming  intermittently  how  to 
find  out  the  history  of  the  tall  blustering  man 
who  had  been  worsted  in  his  encounter  with 
Adrian  Steele,  but  who  evidently  was  holding 
some  threat  over  his  head.  She  knew  that  Adrian 
Steele  was  always  calm  in  danger.  Here,  then, 
was  danger.  There  was  no  mistake  about  that. 
But  what  was  the  danger?  What  had  he  been 
doing  to  Adrian,  and  what  had  Adrian  been  doing 
to  him?  A  garish  type  of  man,  too,  but  most  of 
the  people  there  were  garish  and  worldly,  includ- 
ing herself.  A  curious  contrast  to  Richard 
Forest,  she  thought.  It  was  only  a  hurried  ex- 
cursion that  her  mind  took  to  that  lonely  vicarage 
and  desolate  church,  but  it  nevertheless  repre- 
sented a  true  tribute  to  the  young  fellow's  per- 
sonality, even  though  it  terminated  in  another 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       87 

acute  attack  of  regret  over  the  loss  of  that  £19 
check ! 

As  for  Steele  himself,  his  brain  was  engaged 
in  trying  to  decide  on  the  wisest  attitude  to  adopt 
towards  that  blustering  Robert  Hailsham,  the 
dramatic  author  whom  he  had  cheated  out  of 
£1,700,  and  who  was  bent  on  his  disgrace  and 
destruction.  Adrian  flattered  himself  that  so  far 
he  had  not  done  badly.  It  was  a  piece  of  down- 
right bad  luck  to  come  across  him  here,  but  he 
had  kept  his  serenity  over  their  unexpected  meet- 
ing, and  had  shown  no  sign  of  fear  or  anxiety. 
That  must  be  his  note:  entire  fearlessness,  the 
unconcern  of  innocence.  He  smiled,  laughed 
softly  to  himself,  and  when  the  sale  began,  and 
Hailsham  reappeared,  Steele  had  added  to  his 
secret  and  impervious  armor. 

He  gave  an  immediate  indication  of  it.  One 
of  the  first  things  put  up  to  auction  was  the  beau- 
tiful old  Dutch  fighting  ship.  Hailsham  bid  for 
it.  Steele,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  outbid 
him.  Hailsham  bid  more.  Steele  outbid  him 
again.  A  duel  ensued.  Hailsham  became  ex- 
cited and  irritated,  whilst  Steele  remained  per- 
fectly calm  and  self-contained.  Hailsham  in  his 
anger  flushed  crimson.  Steele  turned  a  little  pale 
perhaps,  but  his  thin  lips  tightened  at  the  corners 
of  his  mouth.  Every  one  in  the  room  was  tense 


with  the  interest  of  this  undoubtedly  personal  con- 
flict. No  one  else  bid.  The  field  was  left  to 
these  two  combatants. 

At  last,  when  the  price  had  been  run  up  by  them 
to  a  considerable  figure,  far  beyond  the  commercial 
value  of  the  object,  Hailsham  outbid  Steele  by 
ten  pounds.  There  was  a  pause.  All  present 
turned  to  Steele  expectantly,  and  Tamar,  who  had 
been  watching  him  closely,  though  furtively,  held 
her  breath.  He  shrugged  his  shoulders  slightly, 
and  otherwise  made  no  movement.  The  Dutch 
ship  was  knocked  down  to  Hailsham  at  £200. 
Tamar  drew  her  breath.  She  was  thrilled  with 
pride  and  delight  in  her  old  friend. 

"  Splendid,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  He  has  had 
the  courage  to  defy  his  enemy,  and  the  sense  to 
keep  his  money." 

A  wave  of  admiration  for  him  swept  over  her, 
and  brought  back  her  old  passionate  love  for  him 
•with  a  rush.  Then  and  there  she  determined  to 
ferret  out  his  trouble  by  some  means  or  other,  and 
to  save  him  from  it,  or  stand  by  him  through  it. 
It  did  not  enter  her  brain  to  ask  him  any  questions. 
She  knew  him  well  enough  to  be  sure  that  questions 
would  only  have  the  effect  of  silencing  him,  and 
enclosing  him  more  securely  in  his  citadel  of  ret- 
icence. No,  she  would  have  to  find  out  details  for 
herself.  So  far,  good  chance  had  helped  her, 
and  she  bent  forward  eagerly  now  when  the 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       89 

auctioneer,  a  handsome  man  of  clerical  counte- 
nance, asked  for  the  name  of  the  buyer,  and 
called  out  to  his  clerk: 

"Mr.  Robert  Hailsham." 

"  I  didn't  quite  catch  the  name,"  she  said  to 
a  dealer  standing  near  her  whom  she  knew. 
"What  was  it  —  Hayson?" 

"  Hailsham,  Robert  Hailsham,  the  well-known 
playwright,"  the  dealer  told  her.  "  Hailsham." 

Tamar  entered  it  in  her  notebook. 

"  The  author  of  The  Invaders,  you  know,"  the 
dealer  said.  "  Haven't  you  heard  of  it?  " 

"  No,"  Tamar  said.  "  Plays  have  never  in- 
terested me." 

"  A  good  piece  of  its  kind,  and  a  huge  success," 
the  dealer  said.  "  He  must  have  made  a  mint 
of  money  over  it." 

Tamar  added  to  her  notes,  "  author  of  success- 
ful play  '  The  Invaders.' ' 

As  she  made  this  entry,  the  relationship  of 
Adrian  Steele  to  Hailsham  suddenly  dawned  on- 
her. 

"  Ah,"  she  thought,  "  of  course.  Now  I  begin 
to  understand.  A  client  of  Adrian's.  A  client. 
Of  course.  And  a  client  turned  into  an  enemy. 
That  is  obvious.  What  has  Adrian  been  doing? 
I  must  find  out,  somehow  or  other,  from  the  play- 
wright man  himself." 

At  this  juncture  Adrian  Steele,  who  had  been 


90       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

stationed  at  the  opposite  side  of  the  room,  quietly 
withdrew  into  the  great  hall.  Hailsham  followed 
him  precipitately.  Tamar  saw  them  both  go, 
and,  with  half  her  mind,  longed  to  be  present  at 
their  second  encounter.  But  both  prudence  and 
business  forbade. 

Hailsham,  who  was  furious  at  having  been  led 
on  by  Steele  to  bid  extravagantly,  advanced  on  his 
little  enemy  and  said  angrily: 

"  If  you  didn't  want  the  damned  ship,  Steele, 
why  did  you  run  up  the  price?  " 

"  I  did  want  the  damned  ship,"  Adrian  Steele 
answered  quietly.  "  I  consider  it  is  a  most 
beautiful  specimen,  but  I  did  not  choose  to 
advance  beyond  the  price  I  quoted  last.  There 
are  limits  to  —  well  —  to  one's  indiscretion,  shall 
we  say?  " 

"  Yes,  you  are  right,"  Hailsham  said  excitedly. 
"  I  rather  think  you  will  soon  be  learning  that." 

"  Probably,"  Steele  answered.  "  It  is  said  to 
be  an  experience  which  comes  to  most  of  us." 

He  turned  away  from  Hailsham,  consulted  his 
guidebook,  and  proceeded  to  study  the  special 
points  of  interest  in  the  great  hall,  the  fine  Eng- 
lish Renaissance  fireplace  of  carved  stone,  and  the 
complicated  heraldic  devices  in  the  windows.  So 
far  as  he  was  concerned,  Hailsham  had  ceased  to 
exist.  Hailsham  glanced  fiercely  at  the  little, 
calm,  stubborn  figure,  but  realized  the  uselessness 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      91 

of  his  own  excited  blustering  methods.  He  con- 
tented himself  now  with  the  reflection  that  al- 
though he  had  never  been  any  match  for  Steele, 
either  in  speech  or  in  manner,  and  had  indeed 
often  writhed  under  his  quiet  but  scathing  intel- 
lectual scorn,  Steele  was  in  his  power. 

He  gave  his  head  a  shake,  recovered  his 
equilibrium,  and  passed  back  into  the  dining-room 
at  the  moment  when  the  auctioneer  was  putting 
up  the  Doge's  ring.  Tamar's  mind  was  now  en- 
tirely focused  on  business,  and  she  had  forgotten 
every  one's  concerns  except  her  own.  For  all  she 
cared,  Hailsham  and  Steele  might  have  been  mur- 
dering each  other  in  the  moat  when  she  once  be- 
gan to  bid  for  the  things  on  which  she  had  set 
her  heart.  She  secured  the  Doge's  ring,  a  beau- 
tiful Spanish  crucifix,  the  Cellini  ornament,  and 
several  snuff-boxes  enameled  on  copper,  and  a 
rather  fine  enameled  gold  watch-case.  She  bid 
carefully,  advancing  moderately,  stopping  at  once 
well  within  her  own  prescribed  limit,  and  showing 
no  sign  of  appreciation  or  eagerness.  Her  face 
was  a  study  of  watchfulness  and  wariness.  Hail- 
sham,  who  had  singled  her  out  and  had  been  ob- 
serving her  for  some  time,  became  greatly  inter- 
ested in  her. 

He  saw  that  her  choice  was  in  each  case  dictated 
by  intimate  knowledge,  and  not  by  ill-directed  en- 
thusiasm. So,  guided  by  her,  as  it  were,  he  out- 


92       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

bid  her  on  a  Battersea  snuff-box,  which  was  rather 
rare  because  it  contained  two  compartments.  She 
herself  had  not  one  of  this  kind,  but  she  did  not 
increase  her  offer,  and  the  snuff-box  was  knocked 
down  to  Hailsham.  She  was  disappointed,  and 
looked  sullen  and  even  fierce.  But  when  she 
realized  that  the  purchaser  was  the  author  of  The 
Invaders,  a  brilliant  idea  leaped  into  her  clever 
brain.  The  sulky  expression  faded  from  her 
countenance,  and  she  glanced  at  Hailsham,  nod- 
ding at  him  pleasantly  enough,  considering  she 
was  Tamar.  Her  glance  and  her  half-reluctant 
greeting  seemed  to  say :  "  Never  mind,  it  doesn't 
matter  much.  It's  all  right."  He  began  to  re- 
gret that  he  had  deprived  her  of  the  Battersea, 
all  the  more  so  as  he  attributed  her  friendly  for- 
bearance to  his  name  and  fame.  His  vanity 
would  not  have  been  flattered  if  he  had  known 
that  Tamar  had  never  even  heard  his  name  until 
an  hour  or  so  ago,  and  that  it  meant  nothing  to 
her,  except  a  useful  signpost  indicating  a  road 
which  might  possibly  lead  her  to  a  desired 
destination. 

He  resolved  to  find  some  opportunity  of  ex- 
pressing his  regret;  and  he  was  influenced  in  his 
decision  not  only  by  his  gratified  vanity,  but  by 
the  real  interest  with  which  Tamar  had  uncon- 
sciously inspired  him.  Perhaps,  too,  he  was  im- 
pelled by  an  author's  natural  promptings  to  probe 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       93 

and  analyze  unusual  specimens.  Tamar  ap- 
peared to  him  an  unfamiliar  type,  and  it  was  not 
improbable  that  she  might  fit  in  somewhere  in 
one  of  his  melodramas.  He  kept  his  eye  on  her, 
and  when  she  left  the  dining-room,  he  left  it  too, 
and  joined  her  in  the  great  hall.  She  was  alone. 
Adrian  Steele  had  disappeared  with  his  guide- 
book, and  was  at  the  moment  overhead,  examin- 
ing the  oak  paneling  in  the  ghost  room. 

Hailsham  approached  Tamar  with  an  apolo- 
getic little  smile  on  his  big  and  rather  boyish  face. 

"  Excuse  me,"  he  said  pleasantly,  "  but  I  do 
want  to  tell  you  that  I  am  really  sorry  to  have 
deprived  you  of  that  Battersea  snuff-box.  I  hope 
I  have  not  disappointed  you  unbearably." 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  answered.  "  I  don't  mind.  It 
doesn't  matter.  It  was  not  worth  more  to  me 
than  the  price  at  which  I  stopped  short.  And 
I  have  many  others  —  rather  a  fine  collection. 
I'm  a  dealer.  Dealers  cannot  afford  the  luxury 
of  imprudence.  They  have  to  leave  that  to 
outsiders." 

"  I  suppose  you  think  I've  been  imprudent," 
Hailsham  said,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Well,  yes,"  Tamar  said.  "  Over  that  Dutch 
ship  undoubtedly.  A  beautiful  thing,  I  admit. 
But  at  the  utmost  worth  about  £120.  And  you 
have  let  yourself  in  for  £200." 

"  Owing  to  that  confounded  little  rascal,"  Hail- 


94      OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

sham  said,  his  impetuous  temper  rising  again  at 
the  recollection  of  the  episode.  "  But  I'll  yet  pay 
him  out." 

"  Unfortunately  it  is  not  often  possible  to  get 
the  chance  of  paying  out  the  strangers  who  spoil 
one's  plans  at  sales,"  she  said  grimly.  "  I  should 
be  obliged  if  you  would  give  me  a  hint." 

"  But  this  man  is  not  a  stranger,"  Hailsham 
retorted  excitedly.  "  Anything  but  a  stranger,  I 
assure  you." 

u  Ah,  that  alters  the  case,"  Tamar  said. 
"  Perhaps  then  an  opportunity  may  present  itself." 

"  Yes,  it  will  present  itself,"  he  answered 
fiercely.  "  And  after  to-day's  experience  I  will 
make  doubly  sure  that  it  shall  not  be  allowed  to 
slip.  As  for  the  Dutch  ship,  I  feel  inclined  to 
throw  the  wretched  thing  into  the  moat  —  any- 
where. I  never  want  to  see  it  again." 

'  There  is  no  need  for  you  to  see  it  again," 
Tamar  answered,  a  plan  instantly  suggesting  itself 
to  her  which  combined  business  of  the  shop  with 
furtherance  of  an  acquaintanceship  with  Adrian 
Steele's  enemy.  "  I'm  a  dealer,  you  know. 
Here  is  my  card.  '  T.  Scott,  dealer  In  antique 
jewelry,  etc.'  If  you  want  to  get  rid  of  that 
Dutch  ship,  I  don't  mind  trying  to  sell  it  for  you 
on  commission." 

"  Upon  my  word,  that's  a  good  idea,"  Hail- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE      95 

sham  said,  glancing  now  at  her  card  and  now  at 
Tamar. 

"  I  might  be  able  to  sell  it  for  £120,"  Tamar 
continued  dreamily.  "  Certainly  not  for  more. 
But  even  then,  deducting  my  commission  of  fifteen 
per  cent,  you  would  get  back  rather  more  than 
£100.  You  would  thus  stand  to  lose  £100  in- 
stead of  £200  by  your  imprudence.  This  might 
be  better  than  throwing  the  Dutch  ship  into  the 
moat." 

Hailsham  smiled. 

"  Yes,  it  would  be  better,"  he  said.     "  But  I 
must  say  I  think  your  commission  is  rather  high." 
'  Yes,  but  I  never  work  for  a  low  remunera- 
tion,"  Tamar  replied  indifferently.     "  It  would 
not  be  worth  my  while." 

Something  in  her  independent  aloofness  carried 
weight  with  Hailsham,  and  he  said: 

"  Very  well,  we  will  leave  it  at  that.  The 
Dutch  ship  shall  be  sent  direct  to  you.  Or  better 
still,  I  will  bring  it  myself.  I  should  like  to  have 
a  look  at  your  snuff-boxes.  I  am  beginning  a 
collection  of  them  myself.  I  will  come  and  see 
what  you  have." 

"  As  you  please,"  Tamar  said,  yawning.  "  I 
have  one  or  two  rather  good  ones.  One  or  two 
'  Vernis  Martin.'  " 

'  You    don't   mean   it,"    he    said   with   boyish 


96       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

eagerness.  "  Better  for  me  if  I'd  come  to  your 
shop  instead  of  to  this  confounded  sale." 

"  Better  for  me,  perhaps,"  Tamar  remarked. 
"  One  never  knows." 

"  Well,  at  any  rate,  I'll  come  now,"  he  said, 
laughing.  "  And  meantime,  here  is  my  card." 

"  It  is  a  good  thing  for  you  that  you  are  a 
writer  of  plays  and  not  a  dealer  in  antiques," 
Tamar  said  quaintly,  as  she  took  his  card.  "  It 
is  quite  certain  to  me  that  you  could  not  earn  a 
living  as  a  dealer." 

"  Ah,  but  you  must  not  base  your  judgment  on 
the  episode  of  the  Dutch  ship,"  he  said,  smiling. 
"  There  are  wheels  within  wheels  as  regards  the 
Dutch  ship.  Perhaps  I  ought  to  say  keels  within 
keels." 

"  Ah,"  said  Tamar  softly. 

Then  she  made  a  bold  venture,  hoping  to  learn 
some  important  detail  to  guide  her. 

"  It  would  rather  interest  me  to  know  the  name 
of  that  little  actor  man  who  fought  you  over  the 
Dutch  ship,"  she  said  casually.  "  It  seems  some- 
how to  be  a  familiar  face." 

"  His  name  is  Adrian  Steele,"  Hailsham 
answered.  "  He  is  not  an  actor.  But  you  have 
not  made  a  bad  shot,  for  he  is  in  the  theatrical 
profession.  He  is  —  or  rather,  I  should  say  — 
was  a  dramatic  agent." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       97 

"  Was?  "  Tamar  repeated.  "  So  he  is  not  one 
now?" 

"  His  career  is  over,"  Hailsham  replied  em- 
phatically. 

"  Over?  "  Tamar  repeated. 

"  Yes,  yes,  over,"  Hailsham  said,  his  temper 
rising.  "He—" 

At  that  moment  Adrian  Steele  was  seen  de- 
scending the  staircase,  and  Hailsham,  not  wishing 
to  encounter  him  again,  raised  his  hat  to  Tamar, 
told  her  he  would  soon  visit  her  shop,  and  strolled 
out  of  the  Great  Hall.  Adrian  Steele  watched 
him  disappear,  and  then  joined  Tamar,  whose  face 
meantime  had  assumed  a  blank  expression.  His 
own  face  was  slightly  flushed.  He  was  obviously 
annoyed  at  having  found  Tamar  and  Hailsham 
together.  But  he  recovered  himself  at  once  and 
said: 

"  A  most  interesting  ghost  room  upstairs.  I 
have  always  liked  ghosts.  They  have  always 
struck  me  as  being  so  reliable.  They  always  do 
exactly  the  same  thing  in  exactly  the  same  spot. 
This  one,  I  believe,  invariably  carries  his  cut-off 
head  in  his  hands.  You  should  go  and  see  the 
room.  Admirable  oak  paneling.  Your  favorite 
linen  pattern.  Altogether  a  most  engrossing 
place  this.  I  am  grateful  you  sent  me  the  cata- 
logue. '  Your  one  and  only  courtesy.'  Do  you 


98       OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

remember,  Tamar?  Of  course  you  do.  By  the 
way,  have  you  got  what  you  wanted  from  the 
sale?" 

"  Yes,  all  except  a  Battersea  enamel  snuff-box," 
she  answered.  "  Your  rival  over  the  Dutch  ship 
got  that.  He  came  rather  politely  to  apologize 
for  having  deprived  me  of  it." 

"  Very  polite,"  said  Adrian  Steele,  his  face 
clearing. 

"  I  didn't  really  mind  losing  the  snuff-box," 
Tamar  continued  innocently.  "  I  told  him  so. 
But  I  should  have  been  angry  if  he  had  marched 
off  with  my  Doge's  ring." 

"  The  Doge's  ring,"  Adrian  repeated  quickly. 
"  You  never  pointed  it  out  to  me  with  the  other 
things,  Tamar." 

"  I  thought  you  would  want  it,  and  run  the 
price  up,"  she  said,  half  sulkily. 

He  laughed.  His  face  lit  up  with  affectionate 
amusement. 

'The  same  Tamar  —  the  same  prudent,  cau- 
tious Tamar,"  he  said.  "  Ah,  how  well  you  know 
me  —  even  after  all  these  years.  Yes,  you  are 
quite  right.  I  should  certainly  have  wanted  that 
Doge's  ring." 

He  stood  looking  at  her  with  a  strange  wistful- 
ness.  His  old  love  and  longing  for  her  came 
leaping  back  to  him,  and  again  he  knew  her  for 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE       99 

his  true  comrade  and  only  possible  counselor. 
Once  more  a  tempest  raged  in  his  spirit. 

"  How  well  you  know  me,"  he  murmured. 
"  How  well  we  know  each  other.  It  ought  to  be 
easy  enough  to  — " 

He  shook  his  head,  turned  slowly  away  from 
her,  and  without  speaking  another  word  began  to 
examine  the  heraldic  devices  in  the  windows. 


CHAPTER  VI 

/TAWO  or  three  days  after  Nell  Silberthwaite's 
•*•  visit  to  Tamar's  shop,  she  had  to  deliver  at 
the  Grey  Friars'  Hall  the  third  of  her  London 
series  of  lectures  on  "  Sweated  Industries."  She 
felt  unequal  to  her  task.  The  impersonality 
which  the  subject  demanded  for  its  successful 
exposition,  had  been  beset  and  stormed  by  over- 
whelming personal  influences  of  the  past.  Ta- 
mar's words  echoed  back  to  her:  "  The  past  is 
a  nuisance.  What  good  has  it  done  you? 
Weakened  you.  Well,  I'm  not  going  to  be 
weakened." 

Tamar  was  right  in  theory.  Nevertheless, 
Tamar  herself  had  not  been  able  to  withstand 
the  mysterious  magic  of  the  past.  Nell  saw  her 
now,  weeping  with  unshed  tears  in  that  dimly 
lit  shop.  She  heard  her  voice  charged  with  a 
grim  despair,  murmuring:  "Woe  is  me  —  woe 
is  me."  She  saw  her  beat  her  breast.  Yes, 
Tamar  still  loved  Adrian  Steele.  And  she,  Nell, 
still  loved  him.  Once  again,  after  the  lapse  of 
many  years,  she  felt  herself  caught  and  entangled 
by  the  old  sensations  of  rivalry  with  and  triumph 

100 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     101 

over  Tamar.  For  Adrian  had  shown  that  even 
now,  after  all  these  years,  he  had  placed  her  on 
the  higher  plane.  He  had  asked  for  her  spiritual 
forgiveness,  and  he  had  paid  back  money  to  Ta- 
mar. Here  indeed  was  cause  for  triumph.  But 
she  was  soon  ashamed  of  giving  way  to  mean- 
ness, and  did  her  best  to  check  herself.  But  this 
return  to  past  history  brought  stress  and  strain  of 
spirit,  and  serious  disturbance  of  brain  serenity; 
and  Nell  was  alarmed  at  her  emotional  weakness, 
angry  over  her  mental  instability,  and  indignant 
with  fate  for  thus  forcing  her  back  into  a  network 
from  which  she  believed  she  had  for  ever  freed 
herself. 

When  Adrian  Steele  had  lost  interest  in  her  as 
a  modern  product,  and  had  deliberately  ceased 
to  lay  his  spell  on  her,  she  had  escaped  with  a  true 
thankfulness  from  this  servitude  of  mind  and 
temperament;  and  had,  with  a  fine  and  determined 
courage,  gathered  her  energies  and  gifts  together, 
and  entered  on  a  long  and  patient  apprenticeship 
for  public  service  work.  Adrian  Steele  himself 
had  first  directed  her  attention  to  the  terrible 
sweating  which  went  on  in  some  of  the  trades; 
and  she  had  never  forgotten  the  day  when  he  took 
her  down  to  the  East  End,  and  showed  her  the 
homes  and  the  lives  of  some  of  the  sweated 
workers.  The  sights  she  saw,  ate  like  acid  into 
her  brain,  and  she  had  vowed  to  give  the  best  of 


102     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

her  strength  and  mind  towards  helping  in  the 
great  task  of  trying  to  solve  some  of  these  in- 
dustrial problems. 

Her  marriage  with  Rupert  Silberthwaite  had 
helped  and  not  hindered  her  in  her  plan  of  life. 
He  had  been  an  engineer  of  some  repute;  and, 
modern  to  his  finger-tips,  had  ever  been  in  the 
vanguard  of  those  who  wished  to  give  women  the 
justice  of  equal  opportunity  and  scope  for  their 
abilities  and  ambitions  in  all  walks  of  life.  He 
wished  to  share  generously,  and  not  withhold 
grudgingly.  When  others,  less  fine  than  himself, 
had  scoffed,  he  met  their  sneers  with  a  quiet  smile 
of  wonder.  So  Nell  had  in  her  husband  a  true 
friend  and  a  staunch  comrade,  who  took  the 
deepest  interest  and  pride  in  her  work,  and  had 
helped  her  in  every  respect  to  carry  out  her 
schemes.'  He  died  suddenly,  and  she  found  that, 
even  in  his  will,  he  had  not  dissociated  her  from 
her  work.  His  will  had  contained  this  one 
clause:  "/  leave  all  my  money  and  possessions 
to  my  dear  wife  Nell,  for  her  work  and  herself." 

Thus,  in  his  death  also,  he  had,  with  a  true 
chivalry,  paid  her  the  tribute  of  recognizing  that 
her  work  was  not  a  mere  adjunct  to  her  life,  but 
its  very  kernel.  He  had  gone  on  his  way,  and 
she  had  missed  and  mourned  him  increasingly. 
He  had  known  the  history  of  her  love  for  Adrian 
Steele;  and  had,  with  added  tenderness  and  pity- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     103 

ing  kindness,  set  himself  to  heal  her  spirit  and 
help  her  to  pass  on. 

She  missed  him  now.  She  could  have  laid 
before  him  her  distress  of  mind,  her  unworthy 
jealousy  of  Tamar,  yes,  even  her  reawakening 
love  for  Adrian  Steele,  and  could  have  reckoned 
as  ever  on  his  generous  understanding  and  wise 
guidance.  Even  as  she  mounted  the  platform 
that  evening,  and  saw  that  big  audience  before 
her,  she  tried  to  strengthen  herself  by  believing 
that  she  could  refer  the  whole  matter  to  him,  and 
free  herself,  once  again  by  his  help,  from  the  yoke 
of  the  past. 

Perhaps  this  memory  steadied  her  nerves;  and 
probably  also,  knowing  herself  to  be  at  such  an 
impasse  of  depression,  she  made  some  special  un- 
conscious effort  to  gather  together  her  disinte- 
grated wits  and  concentrate  them  on  her  lecture. 
The  result  was  that  she  gave  one  of  her  most 
brilliant  addresses.  But  because  of  her  heaviness 
of  heart,  she  did  not  realize  that  she  had  done 
well;  and  the  strain  which  she  had  put  upon  her- 
self induced  an  after  condition  of  increased 
despondency. 

But  before  she  left  the  hall  her  gloom  was 
dispelled.  John  Noble,  the  famous  playwright, 
had  been  present,  and  he  made  his  way  into  the 
ante-room  and  came  straight  towards  her,  eagerly 
holding  out  his  hand. 


io4     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Mrs.  Silberthwaite,"  he  said,  "  you  have 
stirred  me  tremendously.  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
you  have  stirred  me.  I  have  been  uneasy  about 
all  these  things  for  so  long.  But  vaguely,  you 
know.  Looking  on.  Doing  nothing.  Taking 
no  part.  You  have  made  me  feel  that  I  must  take 
some  part,  and  at  once." 

His  words  brought  a  flush  of  pleasure  into 
Nell's  face. 

'  You  cannot  imagine  how  you  encourage  me," 
she  said.  "  I  felt  I  had  done  so  badly  to-night. 
No  nerve  in  me.  No  go." 

"  No  one  else  felt  that,  I'm  positive,"  he  said 
earnestly.  "  It  was  a  splendid  address,  and  an 
inspiring  one.  It  is  true  that  you  deal  with  facts; 
and  facts  can  easily  be  turned  into  dry  bones. 
But  you  present  a  living  picture  to  the  mind. 
You  are  bound  to  succeed  in  your  work,  because 
the  presenting  of  a  picture  is  the  secret  of  all 
successful  appeals.  Yes,  you  have  stirred  me 
tremendously.  I  want  to  help  with  both  hands. 
Here  they  are!  " 

All  Nell's  depression  had  died  away.  She 
looked  radiant  with  happiness  and  pride. 

"  I  can't  tell  you  what  your  kindness  and  praise 
mean  to  me,  Mr.  Noble,"  she  said.  '  We've  so 
wanted  the  help  of  your  name." 

"  Well,  you  have  it  now,"  he  answered,  "  and 
I'm  ashamed  that  you  have  not  had  it  before. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     105 

But  I  assure  you  I  should  be  still  more  ashamed 
of  myself  if  I  held  back  after  your  lecture  to- 
night. I'll  come  to-morrow  to  the  office,  and  if 
you  can  spare  the  time,  I  should  like  to  ask  several 
questions  of  you,  and  find  out  how  I  could  best 
begin  to  serve." 

"  Present  a  picture,"  she  suggested  daringly. 
"  Write  a  play,  Mr.  Noble.  You  would  do  it 
magnificently.  You  would  take  all  the  sordid- 
ness  and  all  the  misery,  and  kindle  it  into  a  great 
beacon  which  would  reach  even  the  blindest 
eyes." 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  smiling  a  little  wistfully,  "  if  I 
only  could.  But  I  should  soon  find  out  that  I 
knew  nothing.  For  it  is  one  matter  to  feel 
strongly  about  a  thing  suddenly,  and  quite  an- 
other matter  to  attain  to  the  power  of  making 
others  share  that  sudden  enthusiasm.  To  do  that, 
one  must  first  be  saturated  with  the  idea.  I 
should  have  to  saturate  myself  as  you  have  done, 
for  instance.  You  have  given  years  of  your  life 
to  these  subjects,  haven't  you?  " 

'  Years,"  she  answered. 

;'  Well,  I  envy  you,"  he  said.  "  My  puppets 
will  die  their  natural  death.  They  will  fade  out 
of  the  picture  of  life;  but  the  picture  which  you 
present,  will  not  perish.  It  will  undergo  the 
transfiguration  for  which  you  are  finely  and  pa- 
tiently working." 


io6     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

He  stood  for  a  moment  silent,  and  then  added 
with  a  smile : 

"  All  the  same,  I  shall  have  to  think  about  that 
play.  I  should  want  a  fearful  deal  of  help." 

"  You  should  have  it  down  to  the  very  last 
shred,"  she  said,  laughing. 

She  went  home  delighted  with  the  unexpected 
success  of  the  evening.  It  was  a  splendid  piece 
of  good  luck  to  have  secured  the  attention  and 
interest  of  this  popular  dramatist.  His  name 
alone  would  carry  weight  with  the  public;  and 
even  if  he  did  nothing  else  except  join  the  Society 
and  pay  in  his  subscription,  he  would  be  lending 
powerful  and  far-reaching  aid. 

The  next  morning  she  hurried  off  to  the  office 
with  a  light  heart.  Nothing  but  good  news 
awaited  her:  more  money,  more  members,  more 
offers  of  active  cooperation.  She  said  to  herself, 
laughingly,  that  John  Noble  had  already  begun 
to  work  his  spell. 

But  suddenly  she  picked  up  a  postcard  which 
lay  by  itself  on  her  desk.  She  glanced  at  it  heed- 
lessly, for  its  meaning  did  not  at  once  dawn  on 
her;  but  when  she  read  it  again,  she  understood. 
It  ran  thus :  — 

"  Have  learnt  something.  Expecting  you 
without  fail  this  afternoon.  T.  SCOTT." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     107 

The  postcard  fell  from  Nell's  hand.  A  change 
came  over  her  spirit.  The  past  leaped  back. 
That  little  figure  rose  up  before  her  unwilling 
eyes.  He  stood,  with  his  old  persistence,  claim- 
ing her  attention  and  her  interest.  The  old 
dreaded  disintegration  set  in.  The  old  unworthy 
jealousy  sprang  up.  Tamar  had  learned  some- 
thing. Tamar  had  been  working  for  him.  And 
she,  Nell,  had  learned  nothing.  She,  Nell,  had 
been  doing  nothing  for  him.  This  was  intol- 
erable. She  must  do  something.  And  at  once. 
What  could  she  do?  Dare  she  go  to  him  direct 
and  implore  him  to  tell  her  his  difficulties  ?  No, 
no,  that  would  be  of  no  use.  That  would  only 
have  the  effect  of  sealing  his  lips.  Could  she  seek 
out  any  one  who  knew  him  ?  But  who  did  know 
him  in  her  present  world?  Their  worlds  were 
not  the  same.  Still,  if  Tamar  had  succeeded  in 
learning  something,  she  too  could  succeed.  She 
was  not  going  to  be  overshadowed  by  Tamar.  If 
the  past  had  to  come  back  to  her,  she  would  keep 
her  place  in  the  past.  No  question  about  that. 

Then  her  finer  feelings  prevailed,  and  she  again 
became  ashamed  of  herself  for  taking  up  that 
attitude  towards  Tamar.  No,  they  must  not  be 
rivals  at  their  time  of  life,  and  after  this  long 
interval  of  many  years.  They  must  be  collabo- 
rators, not  rivals.  Tamar,  too,  had  been  the  one 


io8     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

to  sound  the  generous  note.     She  had  heard  some- 
thing, and  at  once  sent  for  her. 

Nell  smiled,  and  not  unkindly.  She  had  always 
liked  Tamar,  and  it  was  so  exactly  like  Tamar  to 
order  her  to  come.  Tamar  had  always  taken  it 
for  granted  that  no  one  except  herself  had  any 
affairs  to  transact.  So  far  as  she  was  concerned, 
nothing  of  any  importance  was  happening  in  the 
great  world  outside  her  dimly-lit  shop.  Kings 
might  die  or  be  crowned,  revolutions  might  be 
making  headway,  the  Church  might  be  perishing, 
Ireland  might  be  having  Home  Rule,  women  en- 
joying their  hardly-won  citizenship,  comets  might 
be  losing  their  tails.  Tamar,  amidst  all  these 
events,  remained  unchanged,  dateless,  belonging, 
even  as  the  jewels  which  she  worshiped,  to  all 
and  any  time. 

Well,  Tamar  had  sent  for  her,  and  Nell  would 
go.  She  would  hurry  off  as  soon  as  she  could, 
and  meantime  she  would  try  to  think  how  she 
could  best  reach  Adrian  Steele.  She  longed  to 
reach  him.  She  saw  him  again,  as  she  had  seen 
him  in  her  dream,  on  that  mountain  side,  cut  off 
from  help,  inaccessible.  She  turned  instinctively 
to  the  mountain  picture  which  he  had  given  her, 
and  which  was  the  only  one  of  all  his  gifts  she 
had  kept.  Why  had  she  kept  it?  Ah,  she  knew. 
Because  of  the  mountain  gloom,  and  the  mountain 
glory  which  had  been  dear  to  them  both.  Be- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     109 

cause  of  the  snow  peaks  of  pure  white  loveliness 
which  they  had  both  loved,  and  which  towered 
calmly  and  majestically  above  that  low-lying  val- 
ley where  love  and  comradeship  lay  wrecked. 

She  was  still  absorbed  in  these  thoughts  when  a 
knock  came  at  her  door,  and  the  little  Suffragette 
secretary,  whose  merry  eyes  were  dancing  with 
excitement,  announced  Mr.  John  Noble. 

John  Noble  never  knew  from  what  a  far-off 
distance,  and  with  what  a  painful  effort,  Nell's 
mind  traveled  to  meet  him.  But  his  very  first 
action  helped  her  back  to  practical  life.  With  a 
pleased  and  a  charmingly  self-conscious  little  smile 
he  handed  her  a  check  for  £250. 

"  Laggards  should  pay  the  heaviest  toll,  Mrs. 
Silberthwaite,"  he  said.  "  But  I'm  not  going  to 
be  only  a  name.  I'm  going  to  be  a  reality.  And 
I've  been  thinking  about  that  play  you've  ordered. 
Upon  my  word,  I  believe  I  shall  be  able  to  write 
it  if  you  will  help  me  with  your  knowledge." 

'  Yes,  yes,  indeed  I  will.  Let's  begin  at  once," 
she  said,  all  her  enthusiasm  returning  to  her  with 
a  bound. 

She  threw  herself  heart  and  soul  into  her  task, 
answering  his  questions  about  the  Trade  Boards 
Act,  clearing  away  his  difficulties,  and  showing 
him  the  exact  point  to  which  the  work  of  her 
Society  had  progressed.  She  dwelt  now  on  the 
chainmakers,  now  on  the  lace  trade,  now  the  tai- 


no     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

loring  trade,  now  on  the  box-making,  and  now  on 
the  very  worst  feature  of  underpaid  labor,  the 
wage-earning  of  very  young  children;  and  when 
at  times  she  stopped,  fearing  to  tire  him,  he  al- 
ways said: 

"  Don't  leave  off,  if  you  still  have  leisure.  I 
want  to  learn  all  I  can.  I  want  to  make  up  for 
lost  time." 

At  last  she  ceased,  and  John  Noble  rose  to  go. 

"  This  must  be  a  mighty  interest  in  your  life, 
Mrs.  Silberthwaite,"  he  said.  "  You  care  tre- 
mendously, don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  tremendously,"  she  answered. 

"  Ah,  the  impersonality  of  it,"  he  said  half 
dreamily.  "  The  losing  of  the  selfhood.  That 
alone  is  a  thing  to  be  envied." 

"  But  one  does  not  lose  that,  Mr.  Noble,"  Nell 
said,  shaking  her  head  sorrowfully.  As  she 
spoke,  her  thoughts  leaped  back  to  Adrian  Steele, 
and  she  glanced  again  at  the  snow-mountain 
picture. 

His  eyes  followed  hers,  and  he  gave  a  sudden 
exclamation. 

'  Well,  that's  a  curious  thing,"  he  said. 
"  This  is  the  second  time  to-day  I've  seen  this 
identical  picture.  The  Bernese  Oberland  range, 
isn't  it?" 

"  Yes,"  she  answered. 

"  I  saw  it  in  my  business  manager's  office,"  he 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     in 

continued.  "  I  had  an  appointment  with  him, 
which  he  had  forgotten,  oddly  enough.  I 
waited  for  him  in  vain  half  an  hour  or  so,  and 
meantime  studied  the  mountains.  Then  I  came 
straight  on  here.  And  here's  the  same  picture. 
Now  isn't  that  queer?" 

For  a  moment  she  did  not  answer,  and  then, 
as  a  thought  darted  to  her  brain,  she  said 
impulsively : 

"  Mr.  Noble,  is  your  business  manager  Adrian 
Steele?" 

"  Yes,"  he  replied. 

"  Adrian  Steele  gave  me  that  picture,"  she  said. 
"  It  was  a  duplicate  of  his  own." 

"Then  you  know  him?"  Noble  asked,  rather 
eagerly. 

"  I  knew  him  very  well  many  years  ago,"  Nell 
replied.  "  I  had  not  seen  him  for  nearly  twelve 
years  until  the  other  day,  when  he  called  on  me." 

Noble  stood  twirling  his  hat  nervously  in  his 
hands.  He  seemed  to  be  keeping  back  something 
that  he  wanted  to  say.  At  last  he  spoke. 

"  He  has  managed  my  affairs  for  a  very  long 
time,"  he  said.  "  I  shall  always  own  frankly  that 
I  should  have  been  nowhere  without  him,  abso- 
lutely nowhere." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,"  Nell  said 
earnestly.  "  I  always  knew  he  was  brilliantly 
able." 


ii2     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Yes,  brilliantly  able,"  Noble  repeated. 
"  That's  the  word.  If  anything,  too  able." 

He  did  not  stir.  He  appeared  to  be  caught  in 
a  network  of  distressing  thought.  All  the  bright 
eagerness  with  which  he  had  been  listening  to 
Nell's  lesson,  had  now  faded  into  a  sorrowful 
gloom. 

Some  secret  prompting  impelled  her  to  speak 
in  praise  of  Adrian  Stdele. 

"  I  assure  you,"  she  said,  "  that,  looking  back 
now,  I  know  that  I,  too,  should  have  been  no- 
where without  Adrian  Steele.  It  has  taken  me 
years  to  recognize  the  debt  I  owe  him.  If  I  have 
reached  even  one  of  the  most  distant  outposts  of 
my  goal,  it  is  because  he  originally  gave  a  clear 
indication  of  the  way.  He  taught  me  how  to 
work  on  modern  lines.  He  was  the  first  to  plead 
with  my  brain  for  the  cause  of  the  poor.  I  hear 
him  now  telling  me  in  his  scornful  way  to  use  my 
1  academic  brain,'  as  he  called  it,  for  the  problems 
of  the  great  world  outside  the  scholar's  study.  I 
admired  his  splendid  doggedness.  I  have  tried 
hard  to  imitate  it.  I  admired  still  more  the 
driving  force  in  him,  the  memory  of  which  has 
many  a  time  spurred  me  on  to  fresh  effort  and 
action.  And  I  admired,  above  all,  the  generous, 
ungrudging  way  in  which  he  gave  himself  out, 
sparing  neither  his  mental  nor  his  physical  strength 
in  the  fulfillment  of  his  task.  The  debt  — " 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     113 

She  broke  off  and  turned  to  her  desk  abruptly, 
wishing  to  remind  herself  that  she  was  a  business 
woman. 

"  You  must  really  forgive  me,"  she  said. 
"  There  is  no  reason  why  I  should  trouble  you 
with  all  this." 

'  There  is  every  reason  why  you  should,"  he 
said  in  a  low  voice.  "  You  are  doing  both  me 
and  Adrian  Steele  a  greater  service  than  you  know 
by  reminding  me  of  the  debt  which  I,  too,  owe  to 
him.  I  won't  forget  it.  And  you're  right.  It  is 
only  when  one  looks  back,  that  one  knows  the 
true  value  of  the  whole  debt." 

He  took  his  leave  with  a  grave,  preoccupied 
manner.  When  he  reached  the  door,  he  paused. 

"  Can  you  perhaps  tell  me  one  thing,"  he  said. 
"It  is— " 

He  broke  off. 

Whatever  the  question  was,  he  suppressed  it, 
and  passed  out  of  the  room.  But  his  powerless- 
ness  to  speak,  and  his  sadness  had  told  Nell  more 
than  words.  Something  had  gone  wrong  between 
him  and  Adrian  Steele,  and  that  something  had 
struck  this  kind  man  hard.  What  was  it?  What 
was  it  that  had  prompted  her  to  record  to  this 
stranger  her  debt  of  gratitude  to  Adrian  Steele? 
Why,  as  she  spoke,  had  all  remembrance  of 
former  injury  been  swept  away  in  a  wave  of  ap- 
preciation? She  knew  now.  Instinct  had  told 


H4     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

her  that  here  was  danger,  and  she  had  sprung  up 
intuitively  to  ward  it  off.  If  she  could  do  nothing 
else  for  Adrian  Steele,  it  was  at  least  something 
to  have  had  the  chance  of  ranging  herself  on  his 
side.  And  there  might  be  other  chances  too. 
This  might  be  only  the  beginning. 

She  would  be  seeing  John  Noble  again,  and 
perhaps  he,  of  his  own  accord,  would  reopen  the 
subject  of  Adrian  Steele.  Meantime  she  was  in 
the  proud  position  of  being  able  to  report  to 
Tamar  that  her  day's  work  had,  in  its  natural 
course,  brought  her  in  direct  contact  with  some 
one  who  knew  Adrian  Steele,  and  had  business 
dealings  with  him.  Tamar  might  have  something 
to  tell  her.  But  she  also  had  something  to  tell 
Tamar. 

A  few  hours  afterwards  Nell  stood  in  Tamar's 
shop,  examining  a  beautiful  plaque  of  Limoges 
enamel,  while  Tamar  was  transacting  some  busi- 
ness with  a  fashionably  dressed  woman,  rather 
closely  veiled. 

"  No,"  Tamar  said,  with  a  bored  expression  on 
her  face.  "  I  have  stated  my  offer.  Eleven 
pounds  twelve  and  sixpence  for  the  four  rings." 
'  Very  well,"  the  woman  said,  shrugging  her 
shoulders.  "  But  I  cannot  help  saying  that  you 
drive  a  very  hard  bargain." 

"  Possibly,"  Tamar  answered  grimly,  counting 
out  the  money.  "  But  why  come?" 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     115 

The  veiled  lady  received  the  money  with  an 
impatient  gesture,  and  hastened  away. 

"  These  rich  women  lead  one  a  dreadful  life," 
Tamar  remarked  as  she  turned  over  the  rings  and 
held  them  up  to  the  light.  "  They  fight  for  their 
last  farthing  with  their  backs  to  the  wall.  Most 
annoying.  That  woman  has  been  here  for  quite 
half  an  hour.  However,  the  rings  are  rather 
good.  This  emerald  isn't  at  all  bad." 

;'  Tamar,  have  you  ever  seen  the  inside  of  a 
large  bell  gentian  —  a  blue  one  ?  "  Nell  asked, 
still  examining  the  Limoges  enamel  plaque. 

"  Flowers  never  interest  me,"  Tamar  replied 
abruptly. 

'  The  blue  and  green  of  Limoges  enamel  always 
remind  me  of  blue  gentians,"  Nell  said.  "  What 
a  splendid  little  plaque  this  one  is,  Tamar.  If  I 
were  rich,  I  should  want  to  buy  it." 

"  I  intend  to  sell  that  to-morrow,"  Tamar  said 
slowly.  "  I've  quite  made  up  my  mind  to  that. 
And  moreover,  to  one  of  Adrian  Steele's 
acquaintances." 

"To  one  of  Adrian  Steele's  acquaintances?" 
Nell  asked  in  surprise. 

Tamar  nodded. 

"  Yes,"  she  said.  "  I  met  him  at  a  sale  in  the 
country.  He  is  coming  here  to-morrow  on  some 
other  business.  We  made  friends  over  a  Batter- 
sea  snuff-box,  and  we  are  going  to  become  still 


n6     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

greater  friends  over  a  Limoges  enamel.  I  shall 
let  him  have  it  cheap." 

Then  in  a  few  dry  words  Tamar  narrated  the 
history  of  what  she  had  herself  seen  and  heard  at 
Meyntoun  Moat,  and  the  duel  of  the  two  men 
over  the  Dutch  ship.  Nell  listened  with  mingled 
feelings  of  jealousy  and  concern. 

"  So  you  see,"  Tamar  said,  "  there's  no  doubt 
I've  got  an  important  clue  to  the  situation. 
Adrian,  like  a  fool,  has  landed  himself  into  some 
sort  of  trouble  with  this  playwright  man,  Hail- 
sham.  Probably  been  cheating  him.  Been 
found  out.  Well,  I  always  feared  he  would  be 
found  out.  He  was  curiously  reckless  at  times. 
However,  I  shall  learn  more  to-morrow.  This 
Hailsham  loses  his  temper,  and  talks.  I  shall 
know  how  to  lead  him  on.  The  Limoges  enamel 
and  the  Dutch  ship  will  help." 

"  I  too  have  a  clue,"  Nell  said. 

"You?"  asked  Tamar  crossly.  "How  could 
you  have  it,  pray?  " 

Nell  told  her  of  her  first  meeting  with  John 
Noble  at  the  Grey  Friars'  Hall,  and  of  their  sub- 
sequent interview  at  the  office,  when  the  name  of 
Adrian  Steele  at  once  aroused  in  him  feelings  of 
great  distress. 

"  I  am  sure  something  has  gone  wrong  between 
them,"  Nell  said.  "  There  could  be  no  doubt 
about  that.  And  I  could  see  that  when  Mr. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     117 

Noble  learned  that  I  knew  Adrian  Steele,  he 
wanted  to  ask  me  some  questions.  But  he  is  not 
a  man  who  speaks  easily." 

'  Well,  I  don't  see  that  your  precious  acquaint- 
ance with  him  will  be  of  the  least  use,"  Tamar 
said. 

"At  least  I  was  able  to  defend  him,"  Nell 
answered,  with  a  proud  little  smile. 

"What's  the  good  of  defending  him?  "  Tamar 
asked  scornfully.  "  That's  no  good  to  anybody. 
And  probably  he  can't  be  defended." 

"  Well,  I  can  only  tell  you  that  Mr.  Noble 
thanked  me  for  reminding  him  of  his  debt  to 
Adrian  Steele,  and  said  I'd  done  both  him  and 
Adrian  Steele  a  greater  service  than  I  knew,"  Nell 
said  with  spirit. 

Tamar  was  silent.  She  too  was  suffering  from 
an  acute  attack  of  jealousy.  She  tossed  the  new 
rings  impatiently  into  a  small  box,  and  locked  it 
fiercely.  Nell  noticed  her  irritation,  but  pre- 
tended to  ignore  it. 

"  Curiously  enough,"  she  continued,  "  it  never 
struck  me  at  first  to  connect  the  two  men  in  my 
mind.  I  was  so  taken  up  with  the  delight  of 
having  secured  a  new  and  powerful  friend  for  the 
work  of  our  Society,  that  all  other  thoughts  were 
in  abeyance." 

Tamar  grunted. 

u  I've  no  sympathy  with  public  service,"  she 


n8     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

said.  "  None.  Why  do  you  want  to  mix  your- 
self up  with  these  silly  sweated  labor  questions? 
It's  a  ridiculous  waste  of  time  and  strength.  No 
one  need  expect  it  from  me." 

"  No  one  would,  in  his  wildest  dreams,"  Nell 
said  good-naturedly. 

A  grim  smile  came  over  Tamar's  face,  and  part 
of  her  sulkiness  passed  from  her. 

"  I  don't  mind  owning,"  she  said  in  a  mumbling 
voice,  "  that  your  meeting  with  this  other  play- 
wright man  may  have  something  in  it  after  all.  I 
suppose  I  was  jealous." 

"  I  was  jealous  of  you,  too,"  Nell  said. 
"  When  your  postcard  came  saying  that  you  had 
learned  something,  I  could  have  —  well,  I  won't 
tell  you  what  I  could  have  done  to  you." 

Tamar  chuckled.  She  liked  to  hear  Nell's  con- 
fession, and  understood  it. 

"  A  couple  of  fools  —  that's  what  we  are,"  she 
said.  "  Fools  to  concern  ourselves  about  his  wel- 
fare, and  fools  to  be  jealous  of  each  other." 

"  Fools  to  be  jealous  of  each  other,"  Nell  re- 
turned. "  I  admit  that  with  all  my  heart." 

'Yes;  and,  don't  you  mistake  it,  fools  to  con- 
cern ourselves  about  him,"  Tamar  said.  "  It's 
obvious  we  haven't  any  sense.  If  we  had,  we 
wouldn't  let  Adrian  Steele  come  between  ourselves 
and  our  own  affairs  —  public  service,  precious 
stones,  or  anything." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     119 

There  was  a  moment's  silence  between  the  two 
women.  The  little  figure  rose  before  them. 
Some  of  the  happiness  of  the  past  and  some  of  the 
old  longing  held  them.  It  was  Nell  who  spoke 
first. 

"  Nevertheless,  we  must  save  him  if  we  can, 
Tamar,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice. 

Tamar  gave  an  almost  imperceptible  nod. 

"  If  we  work  together,  we  may  be  able  to  save 
him,"  Nell  said.  "  Jealousy  will  cause  loss  of 
time  and  opportunity." 

Tamar  made  no  sign. 

'  We  must  try  and  not  be  jealous  of  each  other 
again,"  Nell  persisted.  "  I  promise  you  I'll  try, 
Tamar." 

There  was  a  pause. 

*  Yes,  I  suppose  we  must  try,"  Tamar  said 
dreamily. 

She  leaned  over  the  counter,  closed  her  eyes, 
and  very  slowly,  with  a  painful  effort,  stretched 
out  her  hand  towards  Nell. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  BRIAN  STEELE  traveled  up  from  Meyn- 
•^^  toun  Moat  to  London  with  his  mind  di- 
vided between  the  pleasure  of  having  been  with 
Tamar,  and  the  anxiety  of  his  impending  difficul- 
ties. His  meeting  with  Hailsham  had  shown 
him  that  Hailsham  meant  war  to  the  knife,  and 
that,  even  if  his  other  clients  could  be  conciliated 
or  hoodwinked,  this  one  man's  fixed  determina- 
tion to  destroy  him  would  be  sufficient  in  itself 
to  hasten  the  inevitable  crisis.  Still,  he  by  no 
means  intended  to  capitulate  to  disaster. 

He  said  to  himself  repeatedly  that  he  would 
make  a  superhuman  effort  to  control  and  guide  this 
adverse  chance,  and  that  he  would  not  give  up 
the  struggle  until  he  was  convinced  that  it  was 
impossible  to  deal  with  the  situation.  Mean- 
while, he  must  gain  time.  It  was  for  this  reason 
that  he  had  shirked  his  appointment  with  Noble, 
and  accepted  Tamar's  tacit  though  definite  invi- 
tation to  attend  the  sale  at  Meyntoun  Moat.  He 
could  not  help  smiling  to  think  that  he  had  evaded 
in  John  Noble  a  less  dangerous  enemy  only  to 

120 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     121 

encounter  a  fercer  foe  at  close  quarters.  Yet, 
on  the  whole,  it  was  John  Noble  he  feared  most 
to  meet,  because,  in  addition  to  their  business 
relationship,  there  had  been  between  them  a  close 
bond  of  fellowship,  which,  as  Adrian  Steele  knew, 
should  have  made  treachery  impossible.  This 
thought  haunted  him  during  his  journey.  He 
reproached  himself  bitterly  for  not  having  spared 
his  friend,  and  he  passed  through  every  phase  of 
shame  and  regret,  ending  up,  however,  with  in- 
creased concern  for  his  own  welfare  and  that  of 
his  wife  and  child. 

Thus,  burdened  with  business  care,  he  arrived 
at  his  own  home  in  Egerton  Crescent  and  pressed 
the  bell.  The  hall  clock  was  striking  eleven  when 
the  maid  opened  the  door.  To  his  surprise  his 
wife  stood  in  the  hall,  waiting  for  him. 

"  You  up,  Grace?  "  he  said  kindly.  "  Late  for 
you,  isn't  it?" 

Then  he  saw  her  face  was  pale,  and  asked: 

"Why,  what  is  it?  You  look  scared.  Has 
anything  gone  wrong?  " 

A  sudden  fear  flashed  through  his  brain  that 
she  had  heard  some  rumor  about  his  affairs. 
She  seemed  scarcely  able  to  speak. 

"  Alpenrose  has  been  taken  fearfully  ill,"  she 
gasped  out.  "  Alpenrose  —  been  taken  ill.  The 
doctor  says  meningitis.  She  cries  for  you." 

He   did  not  wait  to  hear  another  word,   but 


122     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

pushing  gently  past  her,  ran  up  to  Alpenrose's 
room. 

"  Alpenrose  —  my  little  Alpenrose,"  he  cried, 
with  a  tender  yearning  in  his  voice. 

Did  Alpenrose  know  that  he  had  come? 
There  was  a  moment's  cessation  of  the  moaning. 
He  turned  peremptorily  to  the  London  Hospital 
nurse. 

"  I  shall  nurse  her,"  he  said.  "  This  is  my 
work." 

"  You  shall  help  me,"  she  said,  with  some  at- 
tempt at  maintaining  her  position  of  authority. 

He  glared  at  her  a  moment,  and  then  pointed 
in  his  Napoleonic  manner  to  the  dressing-room. 
It  was  easy  to  see  that  he  was  master  in  his  own 
house. 

"  Be  within  reach,"  he  said.  "  And  look  well 
after  Mrs.  Steele.  She  is  not  strong." 

He  installed  himself  by  the  bedside  of  his  little 
darling  daughter,  whom  he  loved  better  than  any- 
thing on  earth.  His  watchfulness  did  not  relax, 
his  care  never  failed,  fatigue  did  not  touch  him. 
Each  time  that  the  nurse  crept  softly  into  the 
room,  she  saw  the  little  figure  sitting  by  the  bed, 
like  some  lynx-eyed  sentinel,  motionless,  yet  ready 
for  instant  action.  Every  thought  except  Alpen- 
rose passed  from  his  mind.  Tamar  vanished, 
and  all  remembrance  of  his  business  complica- 
tions were  swept  away  by  this  one  overwhelming 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     123 

anxiety.  He  concentrated  all  his  will  power,  all 
his  mental  driving  force,  all  his  psychic  insistence 
on  the  recovery  of  his  child.  He  diverted  de- 
liberately in  her  direction  the  strength  of  his  own 
brain  and  body.  The  sweat  streamed  down  his 
face.  Tenser  and  tenser  grew  the  expression  of 
his  countenance.  His  frame  quivered  from  the 
physical  and  mental  strain  which  he  was  putting 
on  himself.  His  wife,  the  nurse,  the  doctor  all 
sought  to  relieve  him  as  the  weary,  anxious  hours 
went  by. 

"  The  child  will  not  know,"  they  urged;  "  and 
you  are  worn  out.  You  must  take  some  rest." 

But  they  spoke  to  some  one  for  whom,  at  the 
moment,  outside  life  had  ceased  to  exist.  He 
did  not  hear  them,  did  not  see  them,  did  not 
heed  them.  All  through  that  long  night,  and  to 
the  middle  of  the  next  day,  Adrian  Steele  battled 
in  his  own  way  for  Alpenrose's  young  life. 

Who  can  tell  whether  or  not  he  helped  to  stem 
the  tide  of  the  on-rushing  river  of  disaster?  In 
any  case,  the  child  did  not  die.  The  little  fair 
head  ceased  to  move  aimlessly  from  side  to  side. 
The  moaning  began  to  leave  off.  Alpenrose  fell 
into  a  peaceful  sleep.  Then,  and  then  only,  he 
succumbed  to  his  own  fatigue,  and  slept  for  so 
many  hours  that  the  doctor,  as  well  as  his  wife 
and  the  nurse,  became  anxious  about  his  long- 
continued  prostration.  The  doctor  finally  re- 


i24     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

mained  in  the  house,  and  stole  in  time  after  time 
to  see  whether  all  were  well  with  him.  At  last 
he  awoke,  and  found  the  doctor  sitting  by  his 
bedside.  His  first  question  was  about  Alpenrose. 

The  doctor  reassured  him. 

"  All  the  same,  I  believe  she  would  have  slipped 
through  our  hands  if  you  had  not  been  here, 
Steele,"  he  said  generously.  "  You  saved  her. 
How,  I  don't  know,  and  don't  pretend  to  know. 
But  you  have  half-killed  yourself,  and  I've  been 
anxious  about  you.  We  all  have.", 

Adrian  Steele  shook  his  head. 

"  I  am  all  right,"  he  answered  a  little  proudly; 
for  he  had  always  disliked  any  reference  being 
made  to  his  health  or  tiredness. 

But  he  knew  that,  for  the  present  at  least,  he 
had  worn  himself  out;  and  he  found,  later,  when 
he  took  his  business  papers  and  letters  into  Alpen- 
rose's  room,  that  his  brain  refused  to  answer  to 
his  demands,  and  that  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  concentrate  his  mind  on  his  affairs.  He  began 
to  realize  the  acuteness  of  the  agony  through 
which  he  had  been  passing.  If  he  had  lost  Al- 
penrose, he  would  have  lost  everything.  She  was 
unutterably  dear  to  him.  He  loved  her  with  all 
the  best  part  of  his  nature.  He  intended  her  to 
be  all  the  things  he  had  never  been  able  to  be  — 
clear  as  a  mountain-spring,  truthful,  open.  Why 
had  he  never  been  able  to  be  these  things?  Was 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     125 

it  too  late?  If  he  could  get  his  affairs  in  order, 
perhaps  he  could  yet  make  an  attempt  to  run 
straight. 

He  said  the  words  aloud: 

"  If  I  can  square  my  business  matters,  my  little 
Alpenrose,  I  will  try  and  never  be  dishonorable 
again,  for  your  sake,  and  because  you  have  been 
spared  to  me." 

But  what  if  he  could  not  square  them?  He 
glanced  at  the  child,  shuddered  a  little,  and  cov- 
ered his  face  with  his  hands.  But  of  course  he 
could  square  them.  Of  course  he  could.  His 
brain  had  never  failed  in  resourcefulness,  and 
would  not  fail  now. 

His  mind  wandered  back  to  the  first  occasion  on 
which  he  had  annexed  the  fees  due  to  any  of  his 
clients.  It  was  at  Colchester,  and  he  had  kept 
back  the  returns  of  one  matinee.  He  remem- 
bered now  how  pleased  he  had  been  with  the  idea, 
and  the  remembrance  brought  a  smile  circling 
round  his  mouth. 

"  Yes,  I  own  I  liked  doing  it,"  he  said.  "  Yes, 
even  though  it  was  to  Noble  that  I  did  it.  I  have 
always  liked  doing  it." 

The  smile  vanished,  and  his  face  took  on  an  ex- 
pression of  defiance. 

"  I  still  maintain  that  I  more  than  earned  every 
single  fee  I  annexed,"  he  said.  "  I  maintain 
that." 


126     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

His  eyes  fell  on  his  papers,  and  he  was  recalled 
from  his  defense  of  the  past  to  the  urgency  of  the 
present.  How  could  he  meet  the  situation? 
Again  only  one  point  was  clear  to  him.  He  must 
gain  time.  Alpenrose's  illness  could  help  him  in 
this  respect.  Thus,  for  instance,  he  could  write 
to  Noble  and  say  that  he  had  failed  to  keep 
his  appointment  because  of  his  little  girl's  illness. 
This  would  make  it  clear  that  he  had  not  shirked 
the  interview,  but  that  circumstances  had  pre- 
vented it.  He  would  write  the  letter  at  once. 
At  least  that  would  be  something  done.  He 
wrote : 

"  DEAR  NOBLE, — Very  sorry  not  to  have  kept 
my  appointment.  My  little  daughter  was  sud- 
denly taken  very  ill,  and  all  other  thoughts  passed 
from  my  mind." 

He  read  the  words  over,  and  shook  his  head. 
He  had  no  heart  to  tell  a  lie  in  connection  with 
Alpenrose.  He  tore  up  the  sheet,  and  began 
again: 

"  DEAR  NOBLE, — Very  sorry  not  to  have  kept 
my  appointment.  I  was  persuaded  by  an  old 
friend  to  go  to  an  auction  sale  in  an  old  country- 
house,  and  quite  forgot  you  were  coming  to  my 
office,  probably  because  it  has  not  been  our  custom 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     127 

to  do  business  there.  When  I  got  home,  I  found 
that  my  little  daughter  had  been  taken  very  ill. 
We  have  had  hours  of  intense  anxiety,  but  the 
crisis  has  now  passed,  and  I  shall  be  at  your  dis- 
posal in  a  day  or  two." 

He  thought  this  would  do,  on  the  whole.  He 
did  not  like  to  drag  little  Alpenrose  in  at  all;  but, 
for  her  sake  and  her  mother's,  as  well  as  his  own, 
it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  postpone  a  meeting 
with  Noble  until  he  had  been  able  to  settle  on 
some  possible  plan  of  campaign.  Alpenrose's  ill- 
ness was  a  legitimate  excuse  for  not  attending 
to  business  matters  for  a  few  days;  and  he  knew 
well  that  John  Noble,  kindest  of  all  kind-hearted 
men,  would  harass  no  one  who  was  in  trouble 
and  anxiety.  So  that,  since  no  lie  was  being  told, 
there  was  no  reason  why  he  should  not  avail  him- 
self of  this  respite  offered  by  fate.  Moreover, 
it  was  diplomatic  to  refer  to  his  visit  to  the  coun- 
try. Hailsham,  who  was  at  the  bottom  of  all  this 
mischief,  would  be  sure  to  see  Noble  and  tell 
him  about  the  episode  of  the  Dutch  ship.  Yes, 
the  letter  could  stand  as  it  was.  He  addressed 
it,  gummed  it,  and  smiled  as  he  thought  of  the 
Dutch  ship. 

"  A  real  bit  of  prancing,  that,"  he  said  to  him- 
self. "  Dangerous,  but  necessary  as  a  protest,  and 
entirely  enjoyable." 


128     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

He  suddenly  remembered  Tamar,  and  his  face 
lit  up. 

"  I  wonder  what  she  thought  of  it,"  he  said. 
"  She  would  indeed  be  amused  and  impressed,  if 
she  knew  the  circumstances  of  my  defiance.  Why 
can't  I  tell  her?" 

He  rose  from  his  chair,  and  stood  looking  out 
of  the  window. 

"  Why  can't  I  make  up  my  mind  to  tell  Tamar 
everything?  "  he  said  aloud.  "  She  and  I  are  one. 
Nothing  can  alter  that.  Nothing." 

Alpenrose  stirred  uneasily  in  her  sleep,  and  he 
was  back  in  an  instant  by  her  side,  ready  to  feed 
her,  nurse  her,  caress  her,  if  she  awoke.  She 
opened  her  blue  eyes;  and  swiftly,  deftly,  and 
with  all  the  tenderness  of  a  mother,  he  managed 
to  administer  the  bird-like  dose  of  jelly  enjoined  by 
the  nurse.  No  one  was  so  successful  as  he  in 
the  difficult  task  of  feeding  the  little  frail  child, 
because  it  was  to  him  that  she  always  offered  the 
least  resistance.  The  next  moment  she  was  asleep 
again,  clutching  tightly  the  black  doll  which  he 
had  not  allowed  the  nurse  to  take  from  her.  He 
was  secretly  amused  in  remembering  how  he  had 
fought  for  that  black  doll.  Its  presence  repre- 
sented a  victory  over  all  the  most  sacred  traditions 
of  hospital  red  tape.  He  returned  to  his  papers 
and  letters. 

He  found  that  already  two  of  his  other  clients 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     129 

were  on  the  scent,  and  had  written  asking  for  im- 
mediate interviews.  These  were  Sanford,  whom, 
so  he  computed,  he  had  cheated  out  of  nearly 
£6,000,  and  Cecil,  whom  he  had  defrauded  of 
about  £4,000.  And  there  was  a  curt  and  rather 
pert  little  communication  from  a  new  young  up- 
start, whose  work  he  had  taken  to  oblige  Hail- 
sham.  But,  of  course,  they  had  all  been  drilled 
by  Hailsham.  He  knew  that,  apart  from  busi- 
ness, Hailsham  hated  him.  He  knew  that  Hail- 
sham  had  never  been  able  to  forgive  him  for  his 
intellectual  contempt  for  those  mindless  but  lucra- 
tive melodramas  which  the  public  loved. 

"  What  was  it  I  said  ?  "  he  asked  himself.  "  Ah 
yes,  I  remember:  something  about  the  plays  con- 
taining much  money  and  a  negligible  quantity  of 
mind.  Well,  it  was  true." 

He  recalled  the  actual  occasion  on  which  he 
had  spoken  those  words,  and  was  still  smiling 
when  he  began  to  examine  some  of  his  recent  ac- 
counts. But  the  look  of  amusement  soon  faded 
from  his  face  as  he  found  himself  confronted  with 
the  difficulties  created  by  his  systematic  dishonor- 
ableness.  At  the  moment  the  point  engaging  his 
attention  was  this:  Could  he  doctor  his  accounts 
in  such  a  way  as  to  convince  his  clients  that  cer- 
tain shortages  of  payment,  which  they  fancied 
they  had  detected  in  their  returns,  were  merely 
temporary  arrears  which  would  all  be  eventually 


130     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

collected  and  paid  in  as  usual?  He  had  £15,000 
safely  invested. 

What  plan  could  be  hit  on  for  using  it  sur- 
reptitiously, allaying  suspicion,  and  thus  choking 
off  further  investigation? 

He  took  one  of  Sanford's  plays  as  a  basis  of 
what  he  vaguely  thought  he  might  do;  and  he 
tried  to  work  out  his  plan,  making  copious  notes 
which  he  at  once  destroyed.  But  his  brain  would 
not  act.  He  became  helplessly  confused,  and  all 
his  efforts  to  arrange  his  ideas  ended  in  failure. 
Nevertheless,  his  usual  perseverance  did  not  for- 
sake him.  He  wrestled  relentlessly  with  calcu- 
lations, with  conflicting  schemes  of  explanations, 
and  with  all  possible  and  impossible  subterfuges. 
But  his  mental  agility  was  in  abeyance,  and  his 
power  of  continuous  thought  arrested.  He  made 
no  headway. 

'  The  fact  is,  I  must  have  help,"  he  thought,  as 
he  finally  leaned  back  in  despairing  fatigue.  "  I 
must  sacrifice  my  pride  and  my  secretiveness  for 
Alpenrose's  sake  and  Grace's  sake,  so  as  to  give 
their  names  a  fair  chance  of  not  being  dishonored. 
I  must  go  and  lay  everything  before  Tamar." 

"  If  any  one  in  the  world  can  help  me,  it  is 
Tamar,"  he  said. 

"Will  she?"  he  asked  himself,  in  sudden 
doubt. 

"  Well,  she  sent  me  the  catalogue,"  he  answered 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     131 

himself.  "  That  meant  a  renewal  of  our  old  com- 
radeship." 

"  Can  she?  "  he  asked  himself  anxiously. 

"  She  has  the  wisdom  and  the  craft  of  the  ser- 
pent," he  reassured  himself. 

'Will  she  betray  me?"  he  asked  himself  in 
sudden  fear. 

"  Never,"  he  answered  himself  steadily. 
"  Never.  Tamar  and  I  are  one.  She  will  never 
betray  me." 

"  Then  I  will  go  to  her,"  he  said;  and  he  rose 
from  his  chair,  signed  to  the  nurse  to  take  his 
place,  and  passed  noiselessly  out  of  the  sickroom, 
carrying  his  letters  and  papers  in  a  locked  leather 
case. 

Grace  met  him  in  the  hall  and  put  a  detaining 
hand  on  his  arm.  Time  had  shown  that  these 
partners  for  life  had  nothing  whatever  in  common 
except  their  love  for  their  child;  but  she  probably 
did  not  realize  the  distance  between  them,  being, 
mercifully  for  her  in  this  instance,  limited  in  per- 
ception. And  he,  although  he  gave  her  no  con- 
fidence, and  no  free  pass  into  his  inner  conscious- 
ness, always  maintained  towards  her  an  attitude 
of  gentle  consideration,  which  had  the  semblance 
of  and  did  duty  for  affection.  Perhaps  it  was 
affection.  Who  can  tell? 

"  My  poor  Adrian,"  she  said  kindly,  "  you  look 
worn  out  and  so  worried.  I  am  thankful  you 


132     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

have  left  the  sickroom.  I  wish  you  had  not  all 
those  worrying  business  papers  to  study.  I  wish  I 
could  help  you.  Can't  I  ?  " 

"  No,  dear,"  he  answered,  smiling  gravely. 
'  They  are  —  well  —  rather  intricate  —  even  for 
a  business  head." 

"  I  was  coming  up  to  insist  on  taking  your 
place,  and  to  beg  you  to  go  for  a  stroll,"  she  said. 
"  But  also  to  tell  you  that  Mr.  Noble  has  called. 
He  is  waiting  in  your  study  to  see  you." 

Adrian  became  deathly  white. 

"  Noble,"  he  repeated  with  a  shudder.  "  Noble 
here.  I  can't  see  him.  I  simply  can't." 

"  No,  of  course  you  can't,"  she  said,  looking  at 
him  with  anxiety.  "  I'll  go  instead,  and  tell  him 
that  you  are  absolutely  worn  out  with  Alpenrose's 
illness,  and  can  see  no  one." 

"  Tell  him  I've  written,"  he  said  in  a  far-off 
voice.  "  Stay,  Grace,  here  is  the  letter." 

But  his  courage  came  back  to  him,  for  he  was 
not  by  nature  a  coward.  He  gathered  himself 
together,  and,  apparently  without  effort,  banished 
from  his  countenance  every  trace  of  worry  and 
apprehension. 

"  No,  Grace,  I'll  go  after  all,"  he  said. 

Without  a  moment's  delay  he  made  for  his 
library,  opened  the  door  and  advanced  without 
flinching  to  meet,  as  he  thought,  Noble.  He 
stopped  short.  He  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     133 

Surely  there  was  no  one  in  the  room.  No,  there 
was  no  one  in  the  room.  No  one.  He  was 
alone.  Alone.  He  stood,  arrested  by  the  sur- 
prise and  the  unspeakable  relief.  Then  he  stag- 
gered to  the  armchair,  sank  into  it,  drew  a  long 
breath,  and  closed  his  eyes.  A  few  minutes  after- 
wards, when  he  had  recovered  himself  a  little, 
he  looked  up  and  noticed  an  envelope  propped 
against  the  old  clock  on  the  mantelpiece.  He 
opened  it,  and  found  that  it  contained  John  No- 
ble's card,  on  which  he  had  penciled  these  lines: 

"  Won't  trouble  you  to-day.  Just  heard  from 
your  maid  that  your  child  was  ill.  Only  wanted 
to  tell  you  that  arrangements  for  new  play  in  your 
hands  as  usual." 

The  card  fell  from  Adrian  Steele's  hand.  His 
head  sank  on  his  breast. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

'"T"SAMAR  sat  behind  her  counter  studying  her 
•*•  ledger,  with  a  smile  of  quiet  satisfaction. 
She  had  made  several  excellent  deals  lately,  and 
she  reckoned  that  the  Dutch  ship  would  bring  her 
in  a  profit  of  more  than  £40.  She  had  already 
arranged  to  sell  it  to  another  dealer  for  £142. 
She  intended  to  pay  Hailsham  £120,  less  her  com- 
mission of  fifteen  per  cent.,  thus  handing  him 
over  exactly  £102.  She  tapped  her  foot,  and  con- 
gratulated herself  that  she  was  always  able  to 
make  a  successful  commercial  venture  out  of  any 
circumstance  whatsoever. 

"  That's  being  a  genius,  or  being  Jewish,"  she 
said.  "  Well,  the  one  often  implies  the  other. 
Now  for  the  fourth  check  for  Richard  Forest's 
church.  Let  me  see.  Can  I  spare  three  pounds? 
No.  Two  pounds  fifteen?  No.  Two  pounds 
ten?  Well,  yes.  And  then  there  was  a  pound 
which  I  decided  to  send  for  those  four  rings  the 
other  day.  Total  three  pounds  ten.  Conscience 
money.  A  large  sum  to  send  for  conscience' 
sake.  Why  should  I  send  it?" 

134 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     135 

Her  check-book  was  lying  on  the  counter,  and 
she  pushed  it  away  from  her  impatiently. 

"  What's  it  to  me  if  there  is  a  hole  in  the  roof, 
or  indeed  if  there's  no  roof  at  all?  "  she  said 
sulkily.  "  Why  don't  some  of  those  rich  bishops 
or  archbishops  see  to  the  matter?" 

But  very  slowly  and  reluctantly  she  drew  the 
check-book  towards  her  once  more,  and  wrote  out 
a  check  to  the  Rev.  Richard  Forest  for  three 
pounds  ten  shillings.  Her  face  softened  as  she 
read  his  name  aloud,  and  her  thoughts  centered 
for  the  moment  on  that  desolate  vicarage  where 
that  young  fellow,  with  his  spirit  dwelling  apart, 
unhelped  and  unencouraged  save  by  the  reality 
of  his  own  ideals,  stood  patiently  at  his  outpost, 
and  not  in  vain.  For  the  memory  of  him  roused 
always  a  tender  strain  of  harmony  in  her,  oddly 
at  variance  with  the  discords  of  her  complicated 
nature. 

"  I  don't  grudge  it,"  she  said,  as  she  crossed 
the  check.  "  At  least,  not  now." 

She  wrote  on  a  piece  of  paper :  "  From  T. 
Scott.  For  church  repairs"  She  enclosed  it 
with  the  check  in  an  envelope,  which  she  addressed. 
She  immediately  sent  the  old  woman  to  the  post 
with  the  letter. 

"  Before  I  regret  it,"  she  explained  to  herself. 

She  dismissed  the  matter  from  her  mind,  and 

turned  her  attention  to  business  concerns.     Hail- 

\ 


136     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

sham  was  coming  that  afternoon,  and  she  had  yet 
to  unlock  two  or  three  of  her  most  tempting 
snuff-boxes,  and  put  them  casually  on  the  counter, 
where  his  eye  might  at  once  light  on  them.  She 
chuckled  a  little  as  she  produced  two  of  her  favor- 
ites, an  oblong,  formed  of  plaques  of  Siberian 
onyx,  mounted  in  chased  and  enameled  gold,  and 
an  oval  Dresden,  painted  on  all  sides  with  land- 
scapes in  colors,  and  considered  by  connoisseurs 
to  be  a  very  fine  specimen.  The  Limoges  enamel, 
which  she  intended  Hailsham  to  buy,  was  a  small 
and  exceedingly  beautiful  upright  plaque  of  the 
Adoration  of  the  Magi,  in  colors  of  green,  blue, 
and  bronze.  Tamar  left  this  also  on  the  counter, 
at  a  suitable  distance  from  the  snuff-boxes. 

She  disliked  extremely  parting  with  this  treas- 
ure, which  she  had  hoarded  for  many  years;  but 
she  knew  well  that  any  enthusiastic  collector  would 
be  attracted  by  it,  and  would  consider  himself 
to  be  extraordinarily  lucky  if  he  obtained  it  at 
all. 

For  her  own  purposes  she  intended  that  Hail- 
sham  should  have  this  chance;  so  that,  if  he  availed 
himself  of  it,  he  might  feel,  with  justice,  that 
he  had  come  off  well  in  his  dealings  with  her,  and 
consequently  be  in  a  frame  of  mind  which  would 
help  her  in  the  task  she  had  set  herself,  of  ac- 
quiring information  concerning  his  relationship 
with  Adrian  Steele.  To  obtain  this  advantage 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     13? 

Tamar  was  willing  to  make  the  sacrifice  of  the 
Limoges  enamel,  and  in  this  instance  the  loss  of 
profit  did  not  enter  into  her  calculations.  It  was 
the  loss  of  the  lovely  possession  itself  which  sent 
a  pang  through  her  heart. 

"  For  Adrian's  sake.  For  no  one  else's,  any- 
where, or  at  any  time,"  she  said,  staring  at  it 
steadily,  and  feasting  her  eyes  on  it  in  a  last  fare- 
well. 

She  turned  away  from  it  with  a  sigh,  and  went 
into  the  inner  room  to  console  herself  with  putting 
some  finishing  touches  to  a  small  faked  antique 
pendant.  The  shop-door  bell  rang  three  times 
before  she  answered  it.  Robert  Hailsham  stood 
waiting  to  be  admitted.  He  greeted  her,  and 
glanced  around  the  old  shop,  taking  in  the  sur- 
roundings in  a  quick,  interested  survey. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  and  so  this  is  your  place. 
Why  on  earth  haven't  I  come  before?  I've  often 
stood  and  looked  in." 

"  That's  better  than  nothing,"  Tamar  said 
quaintly.  "  Though  it  would  not  pay  my  rent." 

He  laughed  and  sat  down  on  a  chair  by  the 
counter. 

"  A  real  old-world  place,"  he  said  with  delight. 
"  None  of  your  modern  burnished  boudoir  shops. 
Have  you  been  here  long,  I  wonder?" 

"  It  all  depends  on  what  you  call  long,"  Tamar 
answered  indulgently,  leaning  with  her  elbows  on 


138     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

the  counter.  "  I  was  born  here.  It  was  my 
mother's  business,  and  her  father's  before  her.  I 
never  knew  any  other  home,  nor  any  other  kind 
of  playmates  except  the  things  in  the  shop.  I  never 
wanted  any  other." 

"  So  you  have  literally  had  a  whole  life's  ex- 
perience with  old-world  treasures,"  he  said,  deeply 
interested. 

She  nodded. 

"  Yes,"  she  said.  "  Before  I  was  ten  I  knew 
more  about  precious  stones  than  many  a  grown-up 
dealer.  More  about  enamels  too.  My  mother 
was  an  expert  in  enamels.  Dealers  as  well  as 
collectors  sought  her  advice." 

"  And  no  doubt  they  seek  yours  now,"  Hail- 
sham  said,  becoming  more  and  more  interested  in 
her. 

"  Dealers  occasionally  do,"  Tamar  replied. 
"  But  most  amateur  collectors  think  they  know 
everything  nowadays.  Mercifully  for  dealers, 
they  don't." 

Hailsham  laughed,  and  a  pleasant,  rather  mis- 
chievous smile  stole  over  Tamar's  face.  She  was 
beginning  to  enjoy  herself. 

;'  Well,"  he  said,  "  and  now  let  us  settle  first 
about  that  wretched  Dutch  ship." 

"  Do  you  still  want  to  get  rid  of  it?  "  Tamar 
asked. 

"  Why,  certainly,"  he  answered.     "  I  sent  it  to 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     139 

you  for  that  purpose.  I  still  hate  the  very  thought 
of  the  thing." 

"I  have  an  offer  for  it  for,  £120,"  she  said. 
"  Less  my  fifteen  per  cent,  commission,  you  would 
receive  £102  in  exchange." 

"A  loss  of  £98,"  Hailsham  said  pensively. 
"  A  big  loss." 

"  Yes,  a  big  loss,"  Tamar  agreed.  "  The  price 
of  folly,  of  course." 

"  I  admit  that,"  Hailsham  answered,  shrugging 
his  shoulders.  "  But  that  little  scoundrel  angered 
me.  I  lost  my  temper  and  my  judgment." 

There  was  a  pause. 

"  I  understand,  of  course,  that  I  have  to  pay  for 
the  luxury  of  losing  my  temper,"  Hailsham  said 
finally.  "  But  is  this  the  best  offer  you  can  get 
me?" 

"  Yes,"  Tamar  replied. 

"  Surely  I  ought  to  be  able  to  get  back  twenty 
or  thirty  pounds  more,"  he  persisted. 

"  Well,  why  not  try?  "  she  suggested,  as  if  the 
whole  matter  were  of  no  concern  to  her.  "  You 
need  not  settle  either  one  way  or  the  other  about 
my  client's  offer  to-day." 

"  Upon  my  word,  that's  very  nice  of  you,"  he 
said  impulsively.  "  I'll  just  think  it  over  for  a 
day  or  two." 

Suddenly  he  noticed  the  Limoges  enamel  plaque 
reposing  temptingly  on  the  counter. 


140     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  I  say,"  he  cried,  "  what  a  beautiful  little  bit 
of  Limoges  enamel  you've  got  here." 

"  Yes,  it's  rather  good,"  Tamar  said  care- 
lessly. 

"  Rather  good !  "  Hailsham  repeated  scorn- 
fully. "  Why,  it's  simply  splendid." 

He  took  it  to  the  light  and  examined  it  care- 
fully, whilst  Tamar  went  to  the  inner  room  to  put 
the  kettle  on.  She  had  decided  that  Hailsham 
should  be  invited  to  tea,  and  should  be  shown 
some  of  her  choice  stones,  china,  and  other  pri- 
vate treasures  which  were  not  for  sale.  When 
she  returned  to  the  shop,  he  asked  her  the  price 
of  the  Limoges  enamel. 

"  It  has  taken  my  fancy  tremendously,"  he  said 
excitedly.  "  I  should  like  to  buy  it,  if  the  price  is 
at  all  within  my  reach." 

Tamar  held  out  her  hand  for  it,  and  looked  at 
it  for  a  long  time. 

"  I  wonder  whether  the  coloring  is  like  the  in- 
side of  a  bell  gentian,"  she  said,  half  to  herself, 
recalling  Nell's  comment. 

"  I  don't  know  what  a  bell  gentian  is,"  he  said. 
"  But  if  the  coloring  is  anything  like  this,  it  must 
be  thunderingly  beautiful." 

She  went  on  studying  it  without  taking  any  no- 
tice of  Hailsham.  She  was  in  fact  struggling 
with  her  reluctance  to  part  with  this  treasure.  She 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     141 

longed  to  hurry  away  with  it  and  lock  it  up  in  her 
safe.  Hailsham,  who  was  watching  her,  thought 
she  was  debating  its  value  with  herself,  and  would 
indeed  have  been  surprised  if  he  had  known  that 
his  little  adversary,  Adrian  Steele,  was  guiding 
the  destinies  of  this  coveted  bit  of  Limoges 
enamel. 

"  Well,"  he  said  with  a  smile.  "  Is  it  perhaps 
priceless?  " 

"  The  truth  is,  I  have  never  priced  it,"  Tamar 
said  in  a  curiously  strained  voice.  "  I  have  al- 
ways loved  it,  and  kept  it  for  myself." 

He  glanced  at  her  with  added  interest,  for  there 
was  no  mistaking  the  note  of  pain  in  her  voice; 
and  the  distressed  expression  on  her  face  dispelled 
from  his  mind  any  idea  that  she  was  feigning  un- 
willingness, in  order  to  enhance  the  value  of  her 
property. 

"  Ah,  I  must  not  deprive  you  of  it,  if  that's  the 
case,"  he  said.  "  But  I  own  I'm  disappointed." 

"  You  can  have  it,"  she  said  sulkily.  "  I  give 
it  up." 

She  added,  still  more  sulkily: 

"  You  can  have  it  for  £15." 

"Fifteen  pounds!  Done!"  he  exclaimed  in 
joyful  surprise;  and  it  was  borne  in  upon  him  that, 
in  spite  of  her  claims  to  knowledge,  she  did  not 
understand  the  value  of  Limoges  enamels. 


H2     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

She  let  him  think  this.  That  was  part  of  her 
plan,  and  a  part  of  it  which  amused  her  im- 
mensely. 

"  Now,"  she  said,  "  if  you'll  come  into  the  inner 
room,  I  don't  mind  showing  you  some  attractive 
jewels  and  antiques.  You  are  evidently  a  real 
lover  of  these  things,  and  not  a  mechanical  collec- 
tor. Ah,  yes,  and  here  are  one  or  two  snuff-boxes 
which  I  put  out  for  you  to  see.  This  one  is  rather 
rare  —  Siberian  onyx  —  French  eighteenth  cen- 
tury. The  South  Kensington  wanted  that.  They 
won't  get  it.  Perhaps  you'll  bring  it.  I  gener- 
ally keep  it  in  the  safe." 

Hailsham,  who  was  brimming  over  with  delight 
and  pleasure,  followed  her  eagerly,  carrying  the 
lovely  little  snuff-box  in  the  palm  of  his  right  hand. 
As  a  collector,  he  was  overjoyed  at  this  unex- 
pected opportunity  of  seeing  her  special  treasures, 
and  as  an  author,  he  was  elated  at  the  chance 
of  learning  more  of  her  mind  and  character;  for 
she  appeared  to  him  to  have  descended  direct  from 
the  skies  to  furnish  fodder  for  his  next  play.  This 
thought,  which  had  knocked  softly  at  his  brain 
on  the  day  of  the  Meyntoun  Moat  sale,  asserted 
itself  now  with  greater  insistence.  And  here,  in 
her  own  shop,  in  her  own  setting,  her  countenance 
seemed  to  have  some  subtle,  indefinable  beauty 
which  was  more  arresting  than  mere  perfection  of 
outline  or  feature.  She  was  a  Jewess.  There 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     143 

could  be  no  doubt  about  that.  And  she  was  a 
Roman  empress  as  well.  A  little  short,  perhaps, 
but  distinctly  of  that  build.  He  knew  that  if  he 
were  a  writer  of  fiction,  he  would  never  be  able 
to  describe  her.  He  was  right.  Neither  Hail- 
sham  nor  any  one  else  could  ever  have  described 
Tamar's  appearance,  or  her  curious  sulky  charm. 

As  soon  as  they  had  settled  down  in  the  inner 
room,  she  unlocked  the  safe  and  produced  various 
unset  stones  of  startling  loveliness,  amongst  them 
several  opals  which  she  dearly  loved,  a  lumachella, 
and  a  rose-red  tourmaline.  She  also  took  out  two 
or  three  cases  of  jeweled  rings  of  all  sorts  and 
sizes.  Then,  without  any  preliminaries,  she 
opened  to  him  her  treasure-house  of  fascinating 
knowledge,  and  he  sat  entranced.  When  Tamar 
chose  to  let  herself  go  on  the  subject  of  precious 
stones,  she  could  be,  as  Adrian  Steele  had  always 
said  in  the  past,  "  superbly  interesting  —  almost 
inspired."  She  had  forgotten  the  existence  of 
Hailsham,  forgotten  her  plotting  and  planning, 
and  was  lost  to  everything  save  the  ecstasy  of  wan- 
dering in  those  regions  which  to  her  were  a  true 
fairyland. 

But  all  at  once,  as  she  was  fingering  one  of  her 
favorite  sapphires,  an  old  teasing  remark  of 
Adrian  Steele's  thrust  itself  upon  her  remem- 
brance. 

"  Transparency    or    no    transparency,    nothing 


144     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

will  make  me  believe  in  that  stone,  Tamar.  It 
is  a  bit  of  an  old  magnesia  bottle.  That's  what  it 
is,  Tamar." 

She  heard  his  voice  saying  these  words,  and 
with  her  mind's  eye  she  saw  him  pushing  the  beau- 
tiful sapphire  contemptuously  away  with  the  rim 
of  his  eye-glasses.  She  broke  off,  recalled  in- 
stantly from  her  far-off  world,  and  reminded  im- 
periously of  the  true  object  of  her  interview  with 
Hailsham.  She  realized  with  sudden  alarm  that 
as  yet  she  had  learnt  nothing  from  Hailsham  about 
Adrian  Steele,  and  that  if  she  were  not  careful, 
the  opportunity  might  slip  from  her,  and  that 
Nell  Silberthwaite  would  get  in  front  of  her  with 
that  other  playwright  man.  This  would  never  do. 
"  Still,  I  have  not  really  been  wasting  the  time," 
she  thought.  "  I  have  been  tuning  the  instrument. 
But  now  I  must  strike  the  note  which  will  make  it 
respond." 

She  rang  for  the  old  woman  to  bring  the  milk 
for  the  tea,  and  poured  out  a  cup  for  Hailsham, 
an  unheard-of  hospitality  in  her  annals.  She  had 
the  craft  not  to  make  any  sudden  change  of  bear- 
ing and  behavior.  She  showed  him  a  specially 
fine  ruby,  and  then  unearthed  some  of  her  antique 
silver,  amongst  other  things  several  Queen  Anne 
rat  tail  snuff-spoons,  which  greatly  took  his  fancy. 
Finally,  she  produced  an  exquisite  sixteenth-cen- 
tury crucifix  of  gold,  decorated  with  cloisonne 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     145 

enamel.     She  glanced  at  this,  and  nodded  to  her- 
self. 

"  I  got  this  some  years  ago  at  a  sale  in  an  old 
Catholic  mansion  in  Somersetshire,"  she  said 
dreamily.  "  I  remember  the  sale  well.  And  the 
place  too.  A  beautiful  thing,  isn't  it?" 

'  Yes,  yes,"  he  answered,  turning  it  over  de- 
lightedly in  his  hands. 

"  A  place  rather  like  Meyntoun  Moat,"  Tamar 
continued,  half  to  herself.  "  Not  so  perfect  as 
Meyntoun  Moat,  though.  But  that  was  an  ex- 
ceptional old  house,  and  an  exceptional  sale  too." 

"  Well,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  hope  it  was 
an  exceptional  sale,"  Hailsham  said,  smiling  good- 
naturedly.  "  And  that  brings  me  back  to  the  sub- 
ject of  my  folly  and  imprudence.  Do  you  know, 
I  think  I'll  decide  to  close  with  the  offer  of  £120 
for  that  Dutch  ship,  and  have  done  with  it." 

"  As  you  please,"  Tamar  returned.  "  But  why 
not  take  another  look  at  it,  and  then  think  the 
matter  over?  You  might  feel  inclined  to  keep  it. 
It's  good  of  its  kind,  and  not  too  large.  It  is  in 
this  other  safe.  I'll  get  it  out." 

She  half  rose,  but  Hailsham  prevented  her. 

"  No,  no,"  he  said,  with  a  short  laugh.  "  I 
never  want  to  see  it  again.  As  for  keeping  it, 
why,  I  should  live  in  a  perpetual  state  of  irritation 
over  the  remembrance  of  the  episode  with  that 
miserable  little  skunk,  who  isn't  worth  even  a  pass- 


146     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

ing  thought.  No,  I've  made  up  my  mind  once 
and  for  all.  I'll  sell  the  Dutch  ship,  through  you, 
for  £120,  less  your  fifteen  per  cent,  commission, 
and  wipe  the  loss  off  my  slate." 

"  Very  well,"  Tamar  said.  "  I'll  arrange  the 
matter  in  a  few  days." 

Then  she  took  her  plunge. 

"  I  inquired  about  that  little  man  amongst  the 
dealers,"  she  said.  "  People  in  my  business  have 
ways  and  means  of  getting  information.  I  was 
warned  not  to  have  transactions  with  him." 

"  No,  don't  you  risk  any  transactions  with  him," 
Hailsham  exclaimed,  roused  at  once.  "  He's  dan- 
gerous, I  can  tell  you." 

"  I  was  told,"  continued  Tamar  quietly,  "  that 
there  is  a  rumor  that  he  has  got  himself  into  diffi- 
culties with  one  or  two  of  his  clients.  I  forget  the 
names.  Names  never  mean  anything  to  me." 

"  You  didn't  hear  my  name?  "  Hailsham  asked 
excitedly. 

"  No,"  Tamar  answered,  shaking  her  head,  and 
opening  a  little  packet  of  mixed  stones.  "  Cer- 
tainly not.  I  should  have  remembered  your 
name,  because  we  were  going  to  do  business  to- 
gether. One  doesn't,  as  a  rule,  forget  business 


names." 


He  laughed  at  her  remark,  and  said : 
;<  Well,  I  don't  mind  telling  you  that  I  am  one 
of  those  clients,  and  this  will  explain  to  you  why 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     14? 

I  was  so  furious  that  he  had  the  impudence  to 
stand  up  to  me  over  that  Dutch  ship.  He  knew 
perfectly  well  that  I,  at  least,  have  found  him  out 
and  that  he's  in  my  power.  And  yet  he  had  the 
audacity  to  defy  me  —  the  audacity  of  a  doomed 
man,  I  suppose." 

"  Doomed?  What  will  happen  to  him  then?  " 
Tamar  said,  absent-mindedly,  taking  up  a  brooch, 
and  beginning  to  remove  one  of  the  sapphires 
which  she  intended  to  replace  by  a  "  doublet." 

"  Oh,  he  will  be  prosecuted,  of  course,  and  con- 
victed," Hailsham  answered,  watching  her. 
"  He's  got  himself  into  a  perfect  network. 
There's  no  escape  for  him ;  he  can't  get  out.  The 
cleverest  counsel  in  the  world  couldn't  get  him 
out." 

Tamar  scarcely  drew  a  breath.  She  was  dread- 
fully anxious  not  to  check  Hailsham.  She  longed 
to  ask  a  hundred  questions.  But  she  wisely  re- 
frained, and  her  self-control  reaped  a  rich  reward. 

"  May  I  ask  what  you  are  doing?  "  he  said  sud- 
denly. 

"  Replacing  a  doublet  with  a  real  stone,"  Tamar 
said,  with  an  innocent  smile.  "  If  you  look  care- 
fully, you'll  see  the  difference." 

"  I  say !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  How  little  outsiders 
know,  don't  they?  " 

'  Yes,"  Tamar  replied  fervently,  and  with  an 
inward  laugh. 


148     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  But,  to  continue  about  Adrian  Steele,"  Hail- 
sham  went  on.  "  Could  you  possibly  recall  one 
or  two  of  the  names  mentioned  if  you  heard  them 
again?  For  instance,  Noble,  Sanford,  Cecil." 

"  No,  I'm  sure  those  weren't  the  names,"  Tamar 
said,  shaking  her  head  wisely. 

"  Well,  there  you  see,"  Hailsham  said  excitedly. 
"  The  fact  is,  there  are  a  whole  lot  of  us.  But 
I  was  the  first  to  raise  any  doubts  about  him.  He 
has  had  a  long  innings,  though.  He  has  been 
feathering  his  nest  for  years.  But  I  found  him 
out,  and  quite  by  chance." 

Tamar  longed  to  ask  how  he  had  found  Adrian 
Steele  out;  but,  having  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent, 
she  again  refrained,  and  again  was  rewarded. 

"  It  was  simple  enough,"  Hailsham  continued. 
"  It  occurred  in  this  way,  I  saw  the  fifth  hundredth 
performance  of  one  of  my  plays  announced  in  the 
bills.  4  Five  hundred,'  I  said  to  myself,  '  I  didn't 
know  it  had  reached  that  number.'  So,  out  of 
curiosity,  I  looked  up  my  returns,  and  discovered 
that  I  had  only  been  paid  for  four  hundred  and 
seventy-three.  After  that  I  went  into  things." 

"  Naturally,"  Tamar  said,  in  a  matter-of-fact 
way.  "  Any  one  would." 

"  And  now  other  people  are  following  my  ex- 
ample," Hailsham  said.  "  A  ball  once  set  rolling, 
you  know.  Nothing  can  save  him  from  ruin. 
There's  no  escape  for  him,  except  — " 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     149 

He  broke  off  and  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Well,  I  know  what  I  should  do  in  his  place," 
he  said  half  to  himself. 

Tamar  did  not  look  up,  did  not  show  a  sign 
of  interest.  Her  heart  beat  uneasily,  but  she  went 
on  steadily  with  her  work;  and  Hailsham  himself 
seemed  lost  in  thought,  as  he  played  listlessly  with 
a  pair  of  saw-driven  Georgian  sugar-tongs  which 
Tamar  had  not  replaced  in  the  safe. 

After  a  long  spell  of  silence,  during  which  noth- 
ing seemed  to  be  concerning  her  except  the  task 
on  which  she  was  engaged,  Tama'r  took  her  second 
plunge. 

"  I  don't  pretend  to  know  much  about  charac- 
ter," she  said  dreamily.  "  People  have  never  in- 
terested me  as  much  as  precious  stones  —  or  any 
minerals,  for  the  matter  of  that;  but  I  could  im- 
agine that  a  man  of  that  type  would  do  things  on 
a  large  scale.  I  suppose  he  has  let  himself  in  for 
hundreds  of  pounds." 

"Hundreds!"  Hailsham  said  excitedly. 
"  Thousands  are  nearer  the  mark." 

"Thousands?"  Tamar  repeated.  "I  didn't 
know  that  persons  who  wrote  plays  made  thou- 
sands." 

"  Don't  they,  though !  "  Hailsham  answered, 
laughing. 

He  plunged  into  histories  of  successful  plays 
which  had  had  tremendously  long  runs  in  London, 


150     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

in  the  States,  and  in  the  Colonies.  He  explained 
to  her  about  the  handsome  returns  which  popular 
dramatists  received,  and  cited  to  her  names  which 
she  had  never  heard,  and  circumstances  which  had 
never  come  within  her  ken.  In  ordinary  life  she 
would  have  been  bored  to  extinction,  and  would 
probably  have  commanded  him  to  leave  off,  or  go. 
But  her  quick  brain  realized  that  she  would  glean 
some  useful  general  information,  if  she  listened 
carefully  and  patiently;  and  she  therefore  encour- 
aged her  unconscious  victim  by  occasional  nods 
of  appreciative  interest,  or  by  some  innocent  ques- 
tion which  deftly  led  him  on  to  further  details 
of  the  business  side  of  the  profession  of  play- 
writing.  It  was  true  he  gave  her  no  further  par- 
ticulars of  his  own  affairs  in  connection  with  Adrian 
Steele.  But  she  learnt  quite  enough  on  general 
lines  to  understand  in  what  directions,  and  under 
what  conditions,  a  dramatic  agent  might  defraud 
his  clients  and  not  necessarily  be  found  out  at  first. 
She  saw  the  temptations  to,  and  the  opportunities 
for,  dishonesty  afforded  by  the  circumstances,  and 
the  dangerous  position  in  which  Adrian  Steele 
stood,  now  that  some  of  his  secret  dealings  had 
come,  or  were  coming,  to  light.  She  bent  over 
her  task,  apparently  intent  on  the  ring  only,  but 
congratulating  herself  with  inward  elation  over 
the  success  of  her  interview  with  Hailsham,  over 
the  data  with  which  he  had  involuntarily  furnished 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     151 

her,  and  over  the  detailed  report  which  she  would 
be  able  triumphantly  to  make  to  Nell,  who,  in 
comparison  with  herself,  had  learnt  next  to  noth- 
ing concerning  Adrian  Steele's  affairs.  At  this 
comforting  thought,  a  smile  of  quiet  content  lit 
up  Tamar's  countenance,  and  she  felt  that  not  in 
vain  had  she  sacrificed  her  favorite  bit  of  Limoges 
enamel. 

"  It  was  worth  while,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  It 
tuned  the  instrument." 

Soon  there  came  a  ring  at  the  shop  bell. 
Tamar,  who  always  disliked  rising  from  her  work, 
and  never  answered  the  shop  door  if  she  could 
press  any  one  into  the  service,  was  just  on  the 
point  of  commandeering  Hailsham,  when  she 
checked  herself.  Some  impulse  warned  her  not 
to  send  a  deputy.  She  got  up  in  her  leisurely 
way,  glanced  round  to  make  sure  that  she  had 
locked  up  most  of  her  valuables,  nodded  to  Hail- 
sham  and  passed  out  of  the  room,  leaving  the  door 
ajar.  When  she  opened  the  shop  door,  she  under- 
stood why  she  had  been  prompted  to  come  her- 
self, for  there  at  the  entrance  stood  Adrian  Steele. 

"  Don't  come  in,  don't  come  in,"  she  said  in 
alarm.  "  I  can't  see  you  now.  Come  later." 

"  I  can't  come  later,"  he  answered.  "  If  you 
send  me  away  now,  you  send  me  away  for  ever. 
I  want  your  help,  Tamar;  but  it  must  be  now  — 
this  moment.  I'm  in  trouble,  and  I  can't  use  my 


152     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

brain  to  think.  Something  has  happened  to  my 
brain.  I  can't  think.  You  are  the  only  person 
who  can  think  for  me." 

She  saw  at  once  the  distress  of  mind  and  fatigue 
of  brain  written  large  on  his  face,  and  knew  that 
she  must  admit  him  then  and  there,  and  do  the  best 
she  could  with  the  situation.  Her  ready  resource- 
fulness, reenforced  by  her  pity  for  him  and  by  her 
pride  at  being  thus  asked  for  help,  leapt  to  her  aid. 
She  stepped  softly  to  the  door  of  the  inner  room, 
turned  the  key  of  the  lock,  and  thus  made  a  pris- 
oner of  Hailsham.  She  stole  back  to  the  coun- 
ter. 

"  Pass  straight  into  the  kitchen,  Adrian,"  she 
said  brusquely.  "  I  have  a  client  here  who  does 
not  wish  to  be  seen.  I  shall  lose  my  deal  if  you 
spoil  it  for  me." 

"Of  course  I  wouldn't  for  worlds  spoil  your 
deal  for  you,  Tamar.  That  would  never  do, 
would  it?  But  don't  be  long.  You  know  I  hate 
waiting,"  he  said,  with  a  smile. 

She  nodded,  watched  him  safely  out  of  the  shop, 
and  then,  assuming  a  calmness  which  she  by  no 
means  felt,  she  rejoined  Hailsham,  whom  she 
found  examining  her  favorite  bits  of  Chelsea  in 
the  corner  cupboard. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  have  to  disturb  you,"  she  said. 
"  You  shall  see  those  another  time,  and  the  Bat- 
tersea  enamels  too.  But  I  have  an  eccentric  client 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     153 

here  who  does  not  wish  to  be  seen.  I  shall  lose 
my  deal  if  she  comes  across  any  one,  and  I  have 
to  bring  her  in  here.  I  have  left  her  in  the  pas- 
sage at  present.  These  people  are  most  amusing. 
They  come  thickly  veiled,  and  give  false  names. 
But  I  know  them.  I  know  this  one." 

"  I'll  be  off,"  Hailsham  exclaimed,  catching  up 
his  hat.  "  It  would  never  do  to  spoil  your  deal, 
would  it?  Especially  after  the  splendid  afternoon 
you've  given  me.  I  can't  tell  you  how  much  I 
have  enjoyed  myself." 

"  I  also  have  enjoyed  myself,"  Tamar  said. 
"  Next  time  you  come  I  shall  show  you  some 
other  things." 

"  Meantime,  off  I  go  with  my  Limoges  enamel," 
Hailsham  said  cheerily.  "  There  are  the  three 
five-pound  notes,  by  the  way.  Do  you  regret  giv- 
ing up  your  treasure?  " 

Tamar  shook  her  head. 

"  No,"  she  said  with  her  curiously  sullen  smile, 
which  had  so  much  fascination  in  it.  "  And  with 
regard  to  the  Dutch  ship,  I'll  send  you  the  check 
for  £102  in  a  few  days,  when  I've  arranged  the 
matter." 

"  Or,  better  still,  I'll  come  and  fetch  it,"  he  said 
eagerly. 

'  Very  good,"  she  replied,  with  a  friendly  nod. 
"  I  shall  expect  you." 

"  Well,  good  luck  to  your  deal,"  Hailsham  whis- 


154     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

pered,  as  she  led  him  into  the  shop.  "  Is  she  a 
duchess,  I  wonder?  I  say,  what  a  good  situation 
for  a  curtain !  " 

"  Hush !  "  said  Tamar,  putting  her  finger  up  to 
her  lips  in  indulgent  warning. 

The  shop  door  closed  after  him.  Tamar  stood 
for  a  moment,  waiting  to  be  sure  that  the  danger 
was  over.  At  last  the  tension  on  her  face  relaxed, 
and  she  drew  a  breath  of  relief. 

"  He  has  come  to  me  for  help  —  to  me,  not  to 
Nell  Silberthwaite,"  she  said,  crooning  to  herself. 

She  went  to  the  kitchen. 


CHAPTER  IX 

repairs  to  Richard  Forest's  church  had 
•*•  begun  in  grave  earnest,  and  the  hole  in  the 
roof  was  being  attended  to  at  last,  after  much 
worry  and  delay.  Richard  Forest  had  written 
endless  letters,  and  made  innumerable  journeys  to 
the  firm  of  contractors  at  Kineton,  coming  back 
always  in  an  excited  state  of  rage  and  disappoint- 
ment. But  now  the  worst  was  over,  and  he  saw 
his  efforts  rewarded  by  the  erection  of  a  scaffolding 
inside  and  outside  the  church.  He  went  about 
whistling  happily,  with  a  face  so  radiant  with  de- 
light that  one  might  have  thought  he  had  entered 
into  a  Promised  Land.  Old  Mrs.  Eustace  found 
him  gazing  with  ecstasy  at  the  tarpaulin  which  now 
covered  the  terrible  gap. 

"  Isn't  it  perfectly  splendid?  "  he  exclaimed  joy- 
ously. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Mrs.  Eustace  answered,  puzzled, 
but  always  unfailingly  sympathetic.  "  Yes,  sir." 

She  did  not  know  what  was  perfectly  splendid, 
but  she  did  know  that  some  one  had  to  take  an 
interest  in  the  work  now  on  hand,  as  well  as  in 
those  trying  early  morning  services  which  still  con- 

155 


156.  OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

tinued  to  tax  her  loyalty  to  the  utmost.  Since 
there  was  no  one  else  to  meet  this  fresh  demand, 
she  rose  grandly  to  the  situation,  and  at  frequent 
intervals  during  the  day,  in  obedience  to  her  young 
master's  summons,  abandoned  the  sacred  precincts 
of  her  kitchen  for  those  of  the  church.  Skib, 
leaving  his  bone  piously  near  the  preaching-cross, 
generally  crept  in  too;  so  that  Richard  was  sup- 
ported by  the  whole  of  his  faithful  little  house- 
hold. 

"  The  villagers  will  care  when  they  see  their 
little  church  intact  and  beautiful,  Mrs.  Eustace," 
he  said  one  afternoon. 

"  A  miracle  will  have  to  happen  before  they 
care,"  she  answered  gruffly. 

"  Well,  then,  a  miracle  will  happen,"  he  said 
cheerfully.  "  That's  simple  enough." 

"  Simple  enough,"  she  thought.  "  Now,  what 
does  he  mean  by  that?  " 

But  she  did  not  question  him.  She  never  ques- 
tioned him,  for  she  had  found  out  that  he  was  ex- 
traordinarily surprised  and  pained  when  she  had 
not  understood  some  of  his  remarks. 

"  Some  one  must  pretend  to  understand  the  dear 
young  master,"  she  said  to  herself  continually. 
And  she  had  learnt  to  adopt  towards  him  a  mental 
attitude  of  silent  acquiescence  which,  without  her 
knowledge,  was  slowly  ripening  into  a  vague  com- 
prehension. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     157 

That  same  afternoon,  for  instance,  when  she 
was  washing  up  the  dishes,  and  thinking  over  his 
words,  she  reflected  that  he  called  all  the  trees  and 
all  the  flowers  miracles.  She  argued  that  if  he 
called  everyday  things  of  everyday  life  miracles, 
he  could  not  really  think  much  of  miracles,  and 
that  this  accounted  for  him  saying  that  they  were 
simple  enough.  But,  somehow,  this  explanation 
did  not  satisfy  her. 

"  No,  it  isn't  that,"  she  said.  "  It's  something 
else.  I  don't  know  what  it  is,  but  it  isn't  that." 

The  next  day  light  came  to  her  bewildered 
brain.  She  remembered  that  he  prized  and 
praised  all  the  things  which  she  called  everyday 
things  of  everyday  life,  flowers,  trees,  green 
fields,  clouds,  waving  grasses,  sunsets,  and  silvery 
stars.  And  she  caught  a  distant  glimpse  of  his 
mind  and  meaning.  Then  she  understood  that  it 
was  because  he  thought  all  these  things  so  won- 
derful and  miraculous,  that  he  thought  every  other 
happening  in  life  simple  in  comparison. 

"  That  be  it,"  she  said  triumphantly,  wiping  her 
forehead  with  her  apron.  "  That  be  it." 

At  this  moment  of  intellectual  victory,  Mrs. 
Eustace  heard  his  voice  calling  her  again  into  the 
church  to  share  his  raptures  over  the  progress  of 
the  work.  She  hurried  off  excitedly,  and  took 
with  her  a  letter  which  had  come  by  the  afternoon 
post. 


158     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Yes,  sir,  the  workmen  be  getting  on,  and  no 
mistake,"  she  said,  gazing  up  at  the  roof.  "  I 
expect  you've  been  frightening  them,  dear  young 
master,  with  one  of  them  shocking  tempers  of 
yours.  I  heard  voices  this  morning.  That  I 
did." 

"  They  were  going  to  sleep,  Mrs.  Eustace," 
Richard  said  defiantly.  "  They  deserved  a  good 
rating." 

"  And  they  got  it,"  she  said,  with  a  twinkle  in 
her  eye.  "  Well,  well,  poor  souls,  they're  making 
a  good  job  of  it,  aren't  they?  We  shan't  know 
ourselves,  sir.  We  shall  be  that  grand.  And  I 
think  them  villagers  will  care.  I  think  that  mir- 
acle you  spoke  of  will  happen,  dear  young  mas- 
ter." 

The  radiant  smile  which  at  once  lit  up  Richard 
Forest's  face  more  than  rewarded  her  for  the  se- 
vere intellectual  strain  she  had  put  upon  herself. 

"  Yes,  yes,  Mrs.  Eustace,"  he  cried  happily. 
"  I  am  so  delighted  you  agree  with  me." 

He  glanced  at  his  letter,  and  saw  that  it  was  from 
T.  Scott.  His  smile  had  passed  into  a  perplexed 
expression  of  countenance,  from  which  neverthe- 
less a  great  tenderness  was  not  absent. 

"  If  there  is  a  check  inside,"  he  said  to  himself, 
"  this  will  be  the  fourth  she  has  sent  me." 

There  was  a  check  inside,  and  a  piece  of  paper 
with  these  few  words  written : 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     159 

" For  church  repairs,  from  T.  Scott" 

When  the  workmen  had  departed,  and  Mrs. 
Eustace  had  retreated  to  her  kitchen,  Richard  For- 
est, according  to  his  wont,  knelt  at  his  desk,  closed 
his  eyes,  prayed,  and  meditated  aloud. 

"  T.  Scott  has  shown  by  her  successive  gifts  that 
she  did  not  regret  her  first  gift,"  he  said.  "  Thank 
Heaven  for  that.  The  spiritual  impulse  which 
prompted  her  to  help  me  at  the  beginning,  has  not 
died  down  in  her  heart.  She  earns  some  money, 
unexpectedly  perhaps.  She  remembers  this  lonely, 
dilapidated  little  church,  and  she  is  impelled  to 
send  an  offering  towards  its  restoration.  Have  I 
a  right  to  question  the  source  of  her  earnings? 
Have  I  a  right  to  discourage  in  her  these  impulses 
of  unworldliness  which  may  lead  her  on  to  the 
large  spaces  of  life  and  thought?  Ah,  I  need 
counsel  other  than  my  own.  It  is  not  clear  to 
me  whether  in  rejecting  these  checks  I  should  not 
be  doing  a  greater  wrong  than  in  accepting  them 
and  using  them  for  a  sacred  purpose.  Who 
knows,  perhaps  I  am  even  torturing  myself  need- 
lessly with  doubts  about  her  honorableness  which 
have  no  real  foundation  in  fact.  It  is  true  that 
she  tried  to  drive  a  hard  bargain  with  me  over 
the  pearl  and  ruby  crucifix.  But  she  repented, 
and  gave  me  the  benefit  of  her  knowledge  and 
experience.  No  one  could  do  more.  Is  it  fair 


160     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

on  her  that  I  should  take  it  for  granted  that  these 
checks  are  necessarily  the  results  of  hard  bargains, 
driven  mercilessly  with  other  people,  in  perhaps 
far  greater  distress  than  my  own?  No,  it  is  not 
fair  on  her.  I  shall  refuse  to  believe  it.  Better  a 
thousandfold  that  I  should  be  mistaken  and  mis- 
led, than  that  any  word  or  action  of  mine  should 
cause  T.  Scott  to  close  the  door  of  her  heart  against 
the  knockings  of  her  conscience.  God  will  for- 
give me  if  my  judgment  has  been  wrong.  But  I 
should  scorn  to  accept  forgiveness  from  God  or 
from  any  one,  if  I  had  sent  her  one  step  further 
out  into  the  wilderness." 

When  at  last  he  rose  from  his  knees  his  face 
was  calmer  and  his  spirit  serener.  He  went 
straight  to  the  paneled  room,  closed  the  door,  and 
took  out  from  a  locked  drawer  three  of  Tamar's 
checks,  to  which  he  now  added  a  fourth.  He  had 
cashed  the  first  one  for  £19,  Adrian  Steele's  check, 
which  Tamar  had  given  him  in  the  church;  but 
these  others  he  had  placed  with  the  letters  and 
papers  which  he  prized.  He  had  taken  them  out 
each  day,  turned  them  over,  thought  about  them, 
and  then,  very  tenderly,  almost  caressingly,  re- 
placed them  in  their  niche,  together  with  the  half 
sheets  accompanying  them.  These  slips  always 
bore  the  same  legend :  "  For  the  church  repairs. 
From  T.  Scott"  Nothing  else.  No  word  of 
greeting,  no  line  of  explanation,  and  no  date. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     161 

They  were  all  for  different  sums,  such  odd  sums 
too.  One  was  for  £4,  195.  2d.  Another  one  was 
for  £7,  us.  id.  Another  one  was  for  £6,  os,  $d. 
And  the  last  was  £3,  IDS. 

Richard  smiled  now  as  he  looked  at  them.  He 
had  passed  through  great  distress  of  mind  over 
them  all;  but  his  battle  was  over  for  the  moment, 
and  he  determined  to  endorse  them  and  send  them 
to  the  bank  that  very  night.  He  signed  his  name 
to  them  all,  and  said:  "God  grant  that  your 
gift  may  be  blessed  to  you,  T.  Scott,  and  to  the 
people  of  this  'village.  And  for  my  own  part,  I 
accept  with  a  true  joy  the  burden  of  any  mistake 
which  I  may  now  be  making." 

He  sealed  them  up  in  an  envelope,  and  sat  for 
some  time  thinking  of  Tamar,  who  since  her  visit 
to  his  church  had  more  than  ever  pervaded  his 
heart  and  brain.  In  some  mysterious  way  T. 
Scott,  as  he  always  called  her  to  himself,  had  be- 
come part  of  his  life  and  of  his  gentlest  concern; 
and  in  spirit  he  constantly  crossed  the  threshold  of 
the  shop,  and  stood  watching  her  anxiously  with 
his  mind's  eye  as  she  bent  over  the  counter  and 
conducted  her  business  with  her  customers.  Some- 
times he  pictured  her  in  the  chancel,  gazing  with 
sullen  disgust  at  the  deplorable  condition  of  the 
church,  and  struggling  in  vain  against  her  impulse 
of  generosity. 

But  it  was  chiefly  in  her  own  setting  that  the 


1 62     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

vision  of  her  rose  before  him;  and  although  in 
so-called  reality  he  had  spent  only  a  few  minutes 
in  that  shop  —  troubled  minutes  too  —  neverthe- 
less the  place  where  she  lived  and  worked,  for 
good  or  for  evil,  had  grown  to  be  an  endeared 
and  familiar  scene,  easily  conjured  up  by  his  im- 
agination and  not  easily  dispelled  by  his  brain. 

It  was  here  that  he  saw  Tamar  now.  Yes,  he 
actually  fancied  that  he  saw  her  pushing  that  check- 
book away,  and  refusing  to  allow  herself  to  part 
with  any  of  her  money.  He  heard  her  voice  re- 
peating the  very  words  which  she  had  spoken  in 
the  church:  "/  part  with  my  money  not  very 
easily,  I  assure  you."  He  smiled  happily  as  he 
witnessed  her  capitulation,  and  knew  it  to  signify 
another  step  in  the  direction  of  unworldliness. 

The  picture  faded,  returned,  remained,  faded. 
Richard  restored  those  slips  of  paper  to  their  place 
amongst  his  treasures,  and  turned  to  the  notes 
which  he  had  been  preparing  for  next  Sunday's 
sermon.  He  did  not  for  the  moment  feel  inclined 
to  work  on  it,  and  he  laid  it  aside  and  began  to 
examine  a  little  water-color  painting  he  had  lately 
finished  of  a  blue  vetch  field  which  he  had  seen 
several  months  ago  and  dreamed  of  a  few  days 
ago.  After  he  had  dreamed  of  it,  he  did  not  rest 
until  he  had  painted  the  memory  of  it. 

He  held  up  the  lovely  little  picture  to  the  light, 
and  for  a  time  seemed  lost  in  the  thoughts  which 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     163 

it  appeared  to  suggest  to  him.  At  last  he  put  it 
back  on  the  mantelpiece,  but  still  stood  looking  at 
it  with  intentness.  Then  he  murmured : 

"To  see  a  world  in  a  grain  of  sand, 
And  a  heaven  in  a  wild  flower." 

His  mind  wandered  to  Blake  as  he  spoke  these 
words,  and  half  absent-mindedly  he  opened  a  vol- 
ume of  the  poems  lying  on  his  table,  and  turned 
over  the  leaves  until  he  came  to  that  wonderful 
outpouring,  "  Corn-posed  while  walking  from 
Felpham  to  Levant." 

"  Ah,  here  it  is,"  he  said.  "  The  double  vision. 
I  wonder  what  I  should  make  of  the  double  vision. 
I  wonder  whether  I  could  paint  that  thought,  as  a 
thought." 

He  read  some  of  it  aloud. 

"  With  angels  planted  in  hawthorn  bowers, 
And  God  Himself  in  the  passing  hours. 

.  .  .  And  before  my  way 

A  frowning  thistle  implores  my  stay. 

What  to  others  a  trifle  appears 

Fills  me  full  of  smiles  or  tears; 

For  double  the  vision  my  eyes  do  see, 

And  a  double  vision  is  always  with  me. 

With  my  inward  eye,  'tis  an  old  man  gray, 

With  my  outward,  a  thistle  across  my  way." 

"  I  wonder,  I  wonder  what  I  should  make  of 
it,"  he  repeated,  with  a  smile  at  the  boldness  of 


1 64     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

his  intention.  "  Well,  there's  no  reason  why  I 
shouldn't  try  one  day  when  I'm  in  the  mood.  And 
William  Blake,  William  Blake,  you  must  just  for- 
give my  boldness.  I  can't  help  myself.  I'm  im- 
pelled that  way.  I'm  — " 

Richard  broke  off.  He  thought  he  saw  a  dim 
figure  cross  the  room  and  fade  away  into  vague- 
ness. 

"  Ah,"  he  said  eagerly.  "  That  strange  pres- 
ence once  more.  Am  I  never  to  be  able  to  detain 
it  —  I  who  have  no  fears  of  this  mysterious  other 
world  circling  round  us?  " 

He  stood  silent  and  motionless.  He  scarcely 
breathed.  He  waited  in  anxious  expectation. 
He  waited  in  vain.  He  shook  his  head  mourn- 
fully, as  if  owning  to  his  defeat.  He  tried  to  settle 
to  his  painting,  and  to  fix  his  thoughts  on  this  task 
which  was  always  a  joy  to  him.  But  for  the  mo- 
ment he  had  lost  all  zest  in  it.  He  made  an- 
other attempt  to  get  on  with  his  sermon,  and 
with  no  better  results.  At  last,  hoping  to  allay 
the  acuteness  of  his  disappointment,  he  opened 
one  of  the  old  church  books,  and  began  to  work 
doggedly  at  the  task  he  had  undertaken  of  de- 
ciphering the  worn  and  precious  old  records.  One 
of  his  predecessors  had  evidently  had  the  same 
intention,  but  had  wearied  of  the  business  and 
had  stopped  short  after  a  few  pages.  Richard  had 
determined  to  carry  the  matter  through,  and  had 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     165 

become  deeply  interested  in  the  intimate  picture 
of  the  life  in  those  bygone  days  presented  clearly 
both  by  the  entries  of  the  births,  marriages  and 
deaths,  and  by  the  churchwardens'  accounts.  It 
was  the  churchwardens'  accounts  which  were  en- 
gaging his  attention  now.  He  deciphered  the  fol- 
lowing :  — 

Largese  to  foure  poore  wretches.     4d. 

gyven    to    thre    wonded    soljers.     yd. 

gyven  to  traveler  comying  bye  cer- 
tificate   3d. 

yteme  of  a  ladere  to  ye  roofe  to  fix 
with  rodes  Divers  redes  torne  by 
ye  fearfulle  raging  of  ye  winde  .  2s. 

yteme  for  ye  time  in  makynge  ac- 
counts   2s. 

yteme  for  ye  monyes  off  ye  saide 
accounts 35. 

Richard  smiled  at  these  last  two  entries,  and 
leaned  back  in  his  chair. 

"  They  took  care  of  their  own  interests,  those 
old  fellows,"  he  said  with  a  laugh.  "  I  see  them. 
Yes,  I  assure  you  I  see  you,  Abner  Kindred,  Rich- 
ard Heberton,  and  Seth  Woods.  Well,  now '  I 
must  find  out  what  you  recorded  in  the  next  year. 
I  hope  plenty  of  largesses  to  other  poor  wretches, 
and  no  more  damage  to  that  thatched  roof." 


1 66     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

He  turned  over  the  pages  and  went  on  uninter- 
ruptedly, smiling  now  and  again  at  the  quaint 
words  and  spelling,  until  he  came  to  the  entry 
which  had  already  engaged  so  much  of  his  interest 
and  attention,  and  which  he  had  been  intending 
to  show  T.  Scott  when  she  left  him  so  abruptly. 

It  was  this :  — 

Yteme  off  one  faire  and  seemlie  bible  with 
claspes  of  brasse  had  off  one  Robert  Girdellere  off 
ye  worshipfule  Company  off  Stationers  of  ye  City 
off  London.  245. 

Richard  stared  and  stared  at  It.  It  always  fas- 
cinated him.  Then,  as  he  was  dipping  his  pen  in 
the  ink,  a  curious  thing  happened.  He  felt  a 
slight,  almost  imperceptible,  tremulousness  in  the 
air,  as  when  a  delicate  breeze  rises  suddenly  on  a 
still  evening,  touches  lightly  the  frail  grasses  on 
the  heath,  and  dies  down  once  more  into  the  en- 
circling silence.  He  looked  up  instantly,  but  with- 
out any  outward  sign  of  eagerness  or  excitement. 
He  saw  that  dim  presence,  undistinguishable  as 
ever  to  his  veiled  eye,  cross  the  room  and  begin  to 
fade  into  the  vagueness  which  always  preceded  its 
final  disappearance.  But,  to  his  surprise  and  joy, 
this  time  there  seemed  to  be  an  arrestment;  and 
after  a  long  interval  of  anxious  waiting,  the  dim 
presence  grew  distincter  and  yet  distincter,  and 
Richard  saw  before  him  an  old  miserable  derelict 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     167 

of  a  clergyman,  in  the  dress  of  about  the  beginning 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  dull  of  eye,  sly  of  ex- 
pression, and  obviously  withered  up  in  heart  and 
spirit.  He  was  carrying  under  his  right  arm,  in 
a  curiously  furtive  manner,  a  very  old  Bible, 
bound  in  brown  leather,  with  brass  corner  pieces, 
a  central  boss,  and  brass  clasps.  With  his  left 
hand  he  tremblingly  pointed  to  the  church  ac- 
counts; and  at  the  same  time  these  words  were 
borne  to  Richard's  brain  strung  to  its  highest  ten- 
sion: 

"  Because  you  have  understood.  Because  you 
have  understood." 

The  vision  passed  away.  Richard  rose  to  his 
feet. 

"Because  I  have  understood?"  he  cried. 
"  What  have  I  understood?  " 

As  he  stood  there  waiting  for  an  answer,  sud- 
denly the  pitifulness  of  his  own  heart  answered 
him. 

"  Poor  old  man,  poor  old  man,  poor  old  com- 
rade," he  whispered.  "  I  believe  that  when  you 
and  the  others  first  came  here  to  this  lonely  little 
outpost,  you  meant  as  well  as  I  now  mean;  but 
that  the  trial  was  too  hard  for  you,  as  it  may 
prove  for  me." 

This  is  what  Richard  Forest  had  been  saying  to 
himself  ever  since  he  came  to  Herne.  He  had 


1 68     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

heard  the  bad  records  of  the  men  who  had  pre- 
ceded him,  and  knew  that  the  position  which  he 
now  held,  had  sunk  into  disrepute  by  reason  of 
their  continuous  misdeeds.  He  had  heard  of  neg- 
lect, indifference,  apathy,  ungodliness,  drink,  yes, 
and  even  of  theft.  But,  although  they  had  left 
him  this  legacy  of  dishonor,  his  thoughts  of  them 
had  been  tuned  to  pity  and  not  to  judgment. 

He  could  see  for  himself  how  their  natural 
faults  of  character  had  been  fostered  by  the  loneli- 
ness and  grimness  of  the  place;  by  the  separa- 
tion from  all  equal  companionship  of  mind  and 
spirit;  by  the  necessity,  inherent  in  every  one,  of 
finding  an  outlet  of  interests,  good  or  bad,  healthy 
or  unhealthy.  There  were  signs,  to  him  pathetic 
signs,  that  one  or  two  of  them  had  at  least  tried 
the  better  part.  There  was  the  transcribing  of 
the  old  registers,  begun  and  abandoned:  the  carv- 
ing of  the  communion  table,  begun  and  aban- 
doned: notes  for  a  historical  treatise  on  the  dis- 
trict, fragmentary  studies  in  the  dialect  of  the 
county,  unused  and  cast  aside  with  torn  old  hymn- 
books  and  psalters.  He  had,  with  his  fine  ideal- 
ism, reverenced  their  early  strivings  and  under- 
stood the  underlying  causes  of  their  failure.  He 
had  vowed  to  himself,  not  once,  but  many  times, 
that  he  would  attempt  to  carry  on  their  early 
strivings  to  a  better  fulfilment  of  what  they  them- 
selves would  have  wished  to  be. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     169 

"  And  may  some  one  be  raised  up  to  deal  in  the 
same  manner  with  my  early  strivings  and  my  fail- 
ures," he  said. 

This  had  been  Richard's  attitude  towards  his 
predecessors.  He  was  entirely  unconscious  of  its 
gentleness,  for  it  was  part  and  parcel  of  his  nature 
to  dwell  on  the  good  rather  than  on  the  evil  in 
people,  on  the  beauties  of  a  scene  and  not  on  any 
chance  disfigurements.  But  now,  as  he  heard 
echoing  in  his  ears  those  words  of  the  old  clergy- 
man, who  had  thus  mysteriously  visited  him,  he 
realized  with  a  spiritual  joyfulness  the  significance 
of  their  meaning.  Yes,  he  had  understood.  His 
thoughts  had  therefore  been  granted  a  passport 
into  that  unknown,  separated  land,  and  the  old 
man  had  appeared  to  him  as  a  sign  that  his  mes- 
sage of  understanding  had  been  received. 

This  was  quite  clear  to  Richard  now.  But  it 
was  not  clear  to  him  why  the  old  man  was  carry- 
ing that  Bible  in  that  painfully  deceitful  manner, 
nor  why  he  had  pointed  to  the  church  accounts. 
There  was  no  doubt  in  Richard's  mind  that  he 
had  pointed  to  the  church  accounts;  and  as  to  the 
Bible,  he  would  recognize  it  again  anywhere.  An 
explanation  flashed  across  his  brain.  He  became 
exceedingly  excited. 

"The  stolen  Bible,"  he  cried;  "the  valuable 
old  Bible  which  disappeared  years  ago,  and 
which  — " 


1 70     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

He  broke  off,  rushed  to  the  churchwardens'  ac- 
counts, and  put  his  finger  on  the  last  entry  which 
he  had  been  transcribing. 

"  This  very  Bible,  this  '  faire  and  seemlie  bible 
with  claspes  of  brasse,'  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  see  it 
all  now.  He  stole  it  then  —  yes,  he  stole  it  — 
and  he  came  —  he  came  to  tell  me  because  —  be- 
cause I  had  —  understood  —  because  he  knew 
that  I—" 

Richard  sank  back  into  his  chair. 

An  hour  afterwards  Mrs.  Eustace  crept  into 
the  room  to  see  whether  all  was  right  with  the 
lamp,  another  of  Richard's  shocking  habits  being 
to  allow  the  chimney  to  become  black  with  smoke 
before  he  attempted  to  interfere  with  the  disaster. 
He  did  not  stir  when  she  called  his  name  and  re- 
proved him  gently,  as  was  her  wont.  She  glanced 
at  him,  and  noticed  that  his  eyes  were  closed,  and 
that  his  face  was  lit  up  with  that  amazing  radiance 
which  often  filled  her  faithful  heart  with  indefina- 
ble, anxious  fears  on  his  behalf.  She  stood  by  his 
side  in  silence.  At  last,  to  her  immense  relief,  he 
opened  his  eyes  at  last  and  saw  her. 

"  Mrs.  Eustace,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  which 
seemed  to  come  from  illimitable  distance,  "  I  have 
this  evening  been  privileged  to  hold  brief  con- 
verse with  one  of  the  poor  souls  haunting  this  vicar- 
age." 

"  Indeed,  sir?  "  she  said,  with  as  much  calmness 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     171 

and  courage  as  she  could  summon,  for  she  had 
secretly  been  dreading  this  inevitable  moment 
when  she  would  be  obliged  to  hear  definite  news 
of  the  vicarage  ghosts. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  and  I  feel  so  encouraged  and 
hopeful." 

"  Ah,  no  doubt,  no  doubt,"  she  said  soothingly. 

"  Some  day  I  will  tell  you,"  he  added.  "  I 
should  like  to  tell  you.  But  not  now." 

"  No,  sir,  not  now,"  she  repeated  with  fervor. 

She  hurried  away,  deeply  thankful  for  this  mer- 
ciful postponement. 


CHAPTER  X 

'ITT'HEN  Tamar  had  successfully  maneuvered 
Hailsham  out  of  the  way  she  made  for  the 
kitchen,  where  she  found  Adrian  Steele  warming 
his  hands  by  the  fire. 

"  History  repeats  itself,  Tamar,"  he  said. 
"  How  many  times  in  the  past  have  I  not  come  to 
warm  my  hands  here,  when  you  would  not  have 
a  fire  in  the  inner  room;  and  how  many  times, 
needless  to  add,  found  the  old  woman  asleep  over 
her  tea?  There  she  is,  you  see.  Here  I  am. 
And  here  you  are.  Apparently  nothing  is 
changed." 

"  Except  that  I  do  have  a  fire  in  the  inner  room 
now,"  Tamar  said,  with  a  ghost  of  a  smile  on  her 
face. 

"  Ah,  I'm  glad  to  hear  that,"  he  said.  "  That 
is  good  news  of  a  startling  nature.  How  I  wish 
that  you  could  have  prepared  a  second  surprise 
for  me,  and  introduced  me  to  a  really  cheerful 
illumination.  Never  in  my  life  have  I  seen  such 
depressing  gas,  Tamar.  Do  you  remember  how 
I  used  to  grumble  at  it  in  the  old  days?  And 

172 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     173 

you    used    invariably    and    very    wisely    to    say: 
'Why  come?'" 

"  Perhaps  I  could  equally  well  put  the  same 
question  now,"  Tamar  remarked  grimly. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  that's  quite  true.  You 
might.  And  I  might  make  the  same  old  answer. 
Do  you  remember  it,  I  wonder?" 

"  Necessity  of  spirit  compels,"  Tamar  answered 
slowly.  "  Those  were  your  words." 

"  Yes,"  Adrian  repeated,  "  necessity  of  spirit 
compels.  I  needed  you  then,  Tamar,  and  I  need 
you  now." 

She  had  signed  to  him  to  follow  her  into  the 
inner  room ;  and  when  he  stood  there  with  her  and 
glanced  around  at  the  well-remembered  surround- 
ings, of  which  he  had  at  one  time  formed  an 
important  and  a  component  part,  he  was  overcome 
by  memories  and  thoughts,  and  moved  to  the  very 
recesses  of  his  heart. 

"  Tamar,  Tamar,"  he  cried,  holding  out  his 
hands,  "  why  did  I  ever  leave  you  ?  This  was 
my  home,  my  true  place." 

That  was  all  he  said,  but  his  words  were 
charged  with  love  and  longing,  regret,  remorse, 
tenderness  and  infinite  trust.  A  light  came  into 
Tamar's  eyes,  and  something  in  her  soul  broke 
through  its  confining  barrier  of  ice. 

'  Take  your  old  seat,"  she  said,  pointing  to  a 
little  Jacobean  couch  which  had  always  been  in- 


i?4     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

disputably  his.  "  I  don't  mind  telling  you  that 
I  have  often  seen  a  vision  of  you  resting  there." 

"  Thank  you,  Tamar,"  he  said  gently. 

"  I  haven't  wanted  to  see  it,"  she  added. 

"  That  I  can  perfectly  understand,"  he  said  with 
a  smile.  "  But  you  couldn't  help  yourself.  I 
have  so  often  been  here  in  spirit." 

He  sank  back  in  the  couch,  made  no  further 
remark,  but  fidgeted  restlessly  with  his  eye-glass 
cord.  Tamar  knew  that  he  was  struggling  with 
his  reticence,  and  for  some  time  did  not  attempt 
to  disturb  him. 

But  when  she  saw  that  he  made  no  headway, 
and  that  every  moment  he  looked  increasingly 
worn  and  ill,  she  determined  to  take  the  risk  of 
beginning. 

"  Is  it  so  hard  for  you  to  tell  me  why  you  want 
my  help?  "  she  said  slowly. 

"  Yes,  Tamar,"  he  answered. 

"  It  is  difficult  for  me  to  understand  why  you, 
with  your  own  strength  and  pride  of  brain,  should 
want  any  one's  help,"  she  said. 

"  Ah,  but  that's  just  it,"  he  said.  "  My 
strength  of  brain  has  gone,  and  my  pride  of  brain 
is  broken." 

"  Probably  you  are  only  tired,"  she  said. 
"  You  want  a  little  rest,  perhaps." 

"  No,  it  isn't  that,"  he  answered,  shaking  his 
head.  "  It's  more  than  that.  You  see,  when  I 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     175 

got  home  from  Meyntoun  Moat  the  other  day, 
I  found  that  my  little  girl,  my  little  Alpenrose, 
had  been  taken  ill,  from  meningitis.  I  arrived 
just  in  time  to  help  nurse  her  through  the  crisis. 
We  nearly  lost  her." 

He  paused  a  moment,  and  shuddered  at  the 
recollection  of  the  agony  through  which  he  had 
been  passing. 

'  The  anxiety  has  told  on  me,  Tamar,"  he  said. 
u  I  have  lost  the  power  of  thought  and  concentra- 
tion, at  the  very  time  when  I  need  it  to  unravel 
some  difficult  business  complications.  But  for  the 
shock  of  little  Alpenrose's  illness,  I  might  have 
worked  through  these  difficulties  by  myself.  I 
like  to  think  I  might  have  done  so.  This 
sounds,  and  is  ungracious,  but  I  know  you  will 
understand." 

"  Yes,  I  understand,"  Tamar  said.  "  I  don't 
bear  you  any  grudge  for  not  coming  to  ask  my 
advice  unless  necessity  compelled  you.  I  should 
have  been  just  as  unwilling  myself." 

"  I  believe  you  would  have  been,"  he  said. 

"  I  don't  mind  how  reluctantly  you  have  come, 
as  long  as  It  is  to  me  that  you  have  come,  and  not 
to  any  one  else,"  Tamar  said. 

"  I  could  have  come  to  no  one  else,  Tamar," 
he  said  slowly.  "  I  might  have  thought  of  one 
or  two  others  with  a  passing  thought,  which 
would  have  ended  always  in  you." 


176     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

His  words  were  as  rare  jewels  to  her,  but  she 
gave  no  outer  sign  of  the  value  she  placed  on  them. 

"  If  my  little  darling  Alpenrose  had  died,"  he 
continued,  "  nothing  would  have  mattered.  I 
should  have  let  things  take  their  own  course 
unchecked.  I  should  not  have  troubled  even  to 
attempt  to  straighten  out  my  difficulties.  But 
there  was  Alpenrose." 

"  Do  you  love  her  so  much  ?  "  Tamar  asked. 

His  face  brightened  up  at  once. 

"  I  love  her  with  all  the  best  that  is  in  me, 
Tamar,"  he  said  gently.  "  My  little  rose  —  my 
little  Alpenrose.  Look,  here's  this  little  min- 
iature of  her.  Do  you  see  how  fair  she  is?  Her 
eyes  are  gentian  blue,  aren't  they?  And  she  goes 
dancing  about  like  the  little  fairy  that  she  is.  No, 
if  she  had  died,  nothing  would  have  mattered. 
But,  since  she  has  lived,  I  must  try  to  save  my 
honor  for  her  sake." 

Tamar,  who  had  been  studying  the  lovely  little 
miniature  which  he  had  put  into  her  hands,  now 
returned  it  to  him. 

"  Children  have  never  interested  me,"  she  said 
abruptly.  "  But  you  always  loved  them,  didn't 
you?" 

"  Always,"  he  answered  wistfully.  "  And  this 
one  —  my  own  little  one  —  beyond  the  power  of 
telling." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     177 

"  Well,  we  must  try  and  save  your  honor  for 
her  sake,"  Tamar  said.  "  You  —  don't  — " 

She  hesitated,  but  continued: 

"  You  don't  speak  of  your  wife.  Doesn't  she 
count  at  all?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  he  answered,  a  little  stiffly.  "  She 
counts.  My  wife  counts." 

There  was  a  long  period  of  silence,  during 
which  Tamar  showed  no  faintest  sign  of  impa- 
tience or  weariness.  She  was  busily  engaged  in 
thinking  over  the  points  which  she  had  learned 
from  Hailsham,  and  planning  how  to  conceal  her 
knowledge  from  Adrian,  and  yet  to  use  it  for 
eliciting  facts  from  him.  Her  heart  beat  with 
secret  pride  and  excitement  that  he  had  come  to 
her  and  not  to  Nell  Silberthwaite.  If  he  had  not 
loved  her,  he  would  never  have  come  to  her.  His 
own  words  echoed  back  to  her:  "  I  could  have 
come  to  no  one  else,  Tamar.  I  might  have 
thought  of  one  or  two  others  with  a  passing 
thought  which  would  have  ended  always  in 
you." 

She  repeated  them  to  herself  many  times,  and 
basked  in  their  meaning. 

At  last  Adrian  Steele  drew  some  letters  from 
his  pocket,  glanced  at  them,  and  then  reluctantly 
handed  them  to  her. 

"  Read  them   all,   Tamar,"  he  said,   his   face 


i?8     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

drawn  and  strained  with  the  effort  he  was  making 
to  conquer  his  secretiveness.  "  They  present  the 
key  of  the  whole  situation." 

They  were  Hailsham's  letters,  which  had  given 
the  first  signal  of  alarm  that  danger  and  disaster 
were  at  hand. 

Tamar  read  them,  studied  them  and  sat  staring 
at  them. 

"  I  suppose  it's  true,"  she  said  at  length. 

He  nodded  his  head. 

"  Is  he  the  only  one?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,"  he  answered.  "  There  are  —  many 
others." 

"  Are  they  all  on  the  scent?  "  Tamar  inquired. 

"  Two  or  three,"  he  replied  gloomily.  "  And 
the  rest  will  follow." 

"  You  must  have  enjoyed  doing  it,"  she  said 
thoughtfully. 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  Adrian  Steele  said,  brightening 
up  a  little.  "  How  well  you  understand,  Tamar. 
It  is  a  comfort  to  be  with  you." 

'  You  see,  I  should  have  enjoyed  doing  it 
myself,"  she  said,  with  her  sullen  smile.  "  Of 
course,  I  don't  know  details.  But,  even  as  an 
outsider,  I  can  imagine  possibilities  and  openings 
of  —  a  tempting  nature." 

He  laughed  softly. 

"The  one  and  only  Tamar,"  he  said;  and  he 
sank  back  on  the  couch  with  a  sigh  of  relief  that 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     179 

he  had  broken  the  ice  and  could  now  put  his  mind 
fearlessly  in  touch  with  Tamar's  mind. 

"  This  Hailsham,"  he  said,  "  is  the  most 
dangerous  of  the  band.  Perhaps  you  remember 
that  man  at  the  Meyntoun  Moat  sale,  with  whom 
I  had  that  duel  over  the  Dutch  ship.  Well,  he 
was  Hailsham." 

"  Yes,  I  remember  the  man,"  Tamar  said 
innocently. 

"  I  had  received  his  third  letter,  and  it  had  up- 
set me,"  Steele  continued.  "  So  when  you  sent 
me  that  catalogue,  Tamar,  that  unmistakable  sym- 
bol of  your  forgiveness,  I  thought  I  would  go  and 
forget  my  worries  at  Meyntoun  Moat,  and  have 
a  bit  of  our  old  comradeship  again.  And  there 
I  found  Hailsham,  to  my  surprise  and  disgust. 
So  I  did  a  bit  of  prancing  over  that  Dutch  ship  — 
probably  the  last  bit  of  prancing  I  shall  ever  do. 
And  mightily  I  enjoyed  it!  It  was  stimulating 
to  me  to  see  him  become  more  and  more  angry, 
as  I  became  more  and  more  cool." 

"  Yes,  it  was,"  Tamar  said,  with  a  laugh.  "  I 
enjoyed  it  myself  immensely." 

"  Of  course,  he  knew  I  was  defying  him," 
Adrian  went  on.  "  And  when  I  walked  off  leav- 
ing him  in  possession  of  the  Dutch  ship  at  £200, 
I  really  felt  I  had  had  a  good  run  for  my  money." 

"  Or  rather  you  should  say  for  his  money," 
Tamar  remarked,  with  a  soft  chuckle. 


i8o     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Yes,"  Adrian  said,  laughing  too.  "  That's 
more  accurate." 

"  I  was  proud  of  you,"  Tamar  said.  "  And 
now  that  I  know  in  what  relationship  he  stands 
to  you,  I'm  still  prouder  of  your  coolness  and 
courage." 

"  Ah,  I  thought  you  would  be,"  he  said,  his 
face  lighting  up  with  pleasure.  "  I  said  to  myself 
at  the  time  that,  if  you  knew  the  circumstances, 
you  would  —  well,  rather  admire  me  for  the  part 
I  was  playing." 

"  You  were  right,"  Tamar  said. 

"  Of  course  I  was  right,"  he  said.  "  I  know 
you  just  as  you  know  me.  We  know  each 
other  —  and  love  each  other." 

"  Yes,"  Tamar  said.     "  I  suppose  we  do." 

He  smiled.  It  was  so  like  Tamar  to  put  it  in 
that  way. 

"  Hailsham  has  always  hated  me  because  I  have 
despised  his  particular  form  of  so-called  talent," 
he  said,  after  a  pause.  "  That  alone  would  make 
him  extra  dangerous.  But  so  far  as  money  goes, 
he  is  not  the  client  whom  I  have  — " 

He  hesitated. 

Tamar  nodded  encouragingly,  and  he  went 
on: 

"Whom  I  have  taxed  —  yes  —  I  think  that  is 
the  suitable  and  just  word  —  taxed  to  the  greatest 
extent.  '  Taxed,'  you  understand  clearly,  Tamar, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     181 

for  valuable  services  which  could  not  be  paid  for 
— 'Well,  in  the  ordinary  way." 

"  I  understand  perfectly,"  Tamar  said.  "  But 
now  you  must  be  quite  frank  with  me,  Adrian,  and 
tell  me  whom  you  have  '  taxed  '  to  the  greatest 
extent,  for  we  had  better  go  into  the  whole  mat- 
ter without  further  delay." 

There  was  another  long  period  of  silence,  but 
at  length  he  made  up  his  mind  to  disclose  the 
details- of  his  affairs. 

"  John  Noble  is  the  client  to  whom  I  might  be 
said  legally  to  owe  the  largest  amount,"  he  said. 
"  About  £15,000.  But  though  I  have  had  reason 
to  believe  that  he  too  was  on  the  track,  perhaps 
I  am  mistaken  after  all.  For  he  called  at  my 
house  to  see  me  this  afternoon,  and  left  a  note 
to  say  that  the  arrangements  for  his  next  play 
were  in  my  hands  as  usual.  That  doesn't  point 
to  distrust,  does  it?" 

"  It  points  to  knowledge  and  forgiveness,  I 
should  say,"  Tamar  remarked  half  to  herself. 

"  To  knowledge  and  forgiveness,"  Adrian  re- 
peated, staring  straight  in  front  of  him. 

Tamar  did  not  heed  him.  Her  thoughts  had 
flown  suddenly  to  Nell  Silberthwaite,  for  an  un- 
erring instinct  of  jealousy  whispered  to  her  that 
this  attitude  of  Noble's  was  due  to  Nell. 

"  She  told  me  herself  that  Noble  had  thanked 
her  for  reminding  him  of  the  debt  which  he  owed 


1 82     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

to  Adrian  Steele,  and  said  she  had  done  him  a 
greater  service  than  she  knew,"  Tamar  thought. 
"  I  depreciated  what  she  had  done,  because  I  was 
jealous.  But  now  it  speaks  for  itself.  Yes,  she 
has  done  a  big  thing.  A  triumph  for  her  over 
me  when  she  learns  it.  Perhaps  she  need  not 
learn  it,  though.  Certainly  not  through  me." 

Later,  a  more  generous  idea  took  possession  of 
her. 

"  Yes,  she  must  learn  it,  and  through  me,"  she 
said  to  herself.  "  I  shall  hate  telling  her.  But, 
if  we  are  going  to  be  fair  to  each  other,  she  ought 
to  be  told.  Besides,  there  is  no  reason  why  I 
should  be  jealous.  It  was  to  me,  and  not  to  her, 
he  came  for  advice.  Yes,  she  ought  to  be  told. 
And  Adrian  ought  to  be  told  that  he  owes  this 
service  to  her.  But  not  now.  It  would  thrust 
him  back  into  himself  at  once  if  he  knew  that  we 
had  learnt  anything  of  his  affairs,  except  through 
him." 

She  was  right.  Very  little  would  have  been 
wanted  to  check  his  confidences  even  now,  in  this 
hour  of  his  need.  The  effort  of  speaking  about 
John  Noble  had  been  almost  too  much  for  him; 
and  Tamar's  remark,  that  perhaps  Noble  knew 
and  had  forgiven,  brought  back  to  him  in  a  flash 
of  painful  intensity  the  memory  of  that  friend- 
ship and  close  intimacy  which  he  had  ruthlessly 
betrayed. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     183 

"  Let  us  pass  on  from  Noble,"  he  said,  in  a  low, 
strained  voice.  "  I  cannot  speak  of  Noble.  I 
have  always  loved  Noble,  and  yet  I  could  not  spare 
him.  I  have  always  loved  him,  Tamar.  Why 
could  I  not  spare  him?" 

With  something  like  a  groan  of  pain  he  covered 
his  face  with  his  hands;  and  Tamar,  impelled  by 
a  true  chivalry,  stole  out  of  the  inner  room  to  the 
shop  where  she  sat  motionless  behind  the  counter: 
a  sure  sign  that  she  was  suffering.  When  she 
returned,  she  found  that  he  had  recovered  his 
composure,  opened  his  portfolio  and  arranged  his 
papers  methodically  on  the  table,  in  the  old  neat 
fashion  which  had  always  been  characteristic  of 
him. 

"  Now  about  Noble,"  he  said  unflinchingly. 
"  He  may  know,  or  he  may  not  know,  Tamar. 
But  let  us  for  the  moment  put  him  out  of  the 
reckoning,  and  consider  those  others.  Hailsham 
I  have  'taxed'  up  to  about  £1,700  —  perhaps 
rather  more.  Sanford  and  Cecil  I  have  *  taxed ' 
to  the  amount  of  £6,000  and  £4,000  each.  Here 
are  their  accounts  as  presented  by  me  to  them, 
and  there  are  my  own  private  versions  of  those 
accounts.  You  see  I  have  kept  two  sets  of  ac- 
counts. A  dangerous  but  an  interesting  habit. 
Now,  one  of  my  ideas  is  that  with  the  help  of  my 
own  money,  I  might  be  able  to  —  well,  cover  up 
tracks.  You  see,  I've  saved  a  large  sum  of 


1 84     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

money.  It  isn't  as  if  I  were  penniless.  I  have 
saved  £15,000  —  out  of  these  taxes." 

"Saved  £15,000!"  Tamar  exclaimed,  the 
Jewess  in  her  aroused  to  appreciation  of  the  sum 
and  concern  for  its  safety.  "  But  what  a  pity  that 
you  should  have  to  sacrifice  any  of  it.  I  should 
dislike  doing  so  extremely,  even  in  these  particular 
circumstances.  Very  reluctantly  have  I  parted 
with  my  money  at  any  time,  as  I  dare  say  you 
remember." 

"  Yes,  I  remember,"  Steele  said,  smiling  in 
spite  of  himself.  "  I  remember  well." 

"  I  should  certainly  never  dream  of  sacrificing 
a  farthing  for  any  scheme,  unless  I  could  see 
clearly  that  it  was  worth  while,"  Tamar  said 
severely. 

"  No,  I'm  sure  you  wouldn't,"  he  said,  with  a 
laugh.  "  If  you  did  sacrifice  your  money  for  any 
scheme,  one  would  at  least  be  sure  that  you  had 
made  up  your  mind  that  there  was  very  little  or 
no  risk  involved.  But  with  me  it  is  altogether 
different.  I  know  you  think  that  all  people  who 
touch  their  capital  are  both  insane  and  immoral. 
Perhaps  they  are.  But  I  have  no  choice,  Tamar. 
You  will  soon  see  that.  A  crafty  and  judicious 
expenditure  of  that  money  may  save  me  —  and 
may  not.  But  I  must  risk  it  in  either  case.  A 
year  or  two  ago,  if  this  thing  had  been  sprung 
upon  me,  I  am  confident  I  could  have  averted  the 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     185 

disaster.  This  last  year  I've  been  —  well  —  I've 
been  reckless  and  careless  —  especially  with  Hail- 
sham.  Yet  I  knew  all  the  time  that  I  was  play- 
ing with  fire,  in  his  case.  I  have  a  suspicion  that 
my  brain  got  tired  of  continuous  prosperity,  and 
demanded  from  me  a  crisis." 

"  Well,  you've  certainly  supplied  your  brain 
with  one  now,  haven't  you?"  Tamar  said,  with 
a  smile  which  had  grave  anxiety  in  it. 

Then  without  further  delay,  she  gave  herself 
up  to  the  task  of  studying  his  accounts,  his  notes, 
his  statements  and  other  papers  relating  to  his 
dealings  with  his  clients.  She  found  that  she  was 
tremendously  helped  by  the  practical  knowledge 
and  general  information  she  had  gleaned  from 
Hailsham;  for  she  was  able  to  question  Adrian 
Steele  in  a  way  which  drew  from  him  definite 
facts  and  explanations  such  as  he  would  never 
have  vouchsafed  on  his  own  account. 

She  saw  that  he  had  been  appallingly  un- 
scrupulous. He  had  eliminated  matinees,  cut  off 
ending  weeks  of  provincial  tours,  left  out  the 
whole  returns  from  some  of  the  obscure  towns  in 
America,  and  annexed,  in  many  instances,  the 
greater  part  of  the  fees  for  translation  rights. 
As  she  got  a  stronger  grasp  of  the  complications, 
it  began  to  dawn  on  her,  with  an  ever-increasing 
certainty,  that  Hailsham  was  right,  and  that 
Adrian  had  become  entangled  in  a  mesh  from 


1 86     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

which  there  was  no  escape.  But  she  did  not  al- 
low him  to  see  the  faintest  sign  of  her  amazement 
and  discouragement.  She  used  the  very  best  of 
her  clever  resourcefulness  to  try  and  hit  on  some 
way  of  substantiating  his  claim  that  the  deficits, 
especially  in  the  more  recent  statements,  were 
merely  arrears  and  outstandings  which  were  now 
in  process  of  being  collected. 

She  scribbled  out  schemes  and  rejected  them, 
one  by  one,  as  impossible.  With  great  reluctance 
she  attempted  to  apportion  that  £15,000  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  cover  up  tracks.  But  the  situation 
appeared  to  her  hopeless.  And  in  any  case 
£15,000  was  not  enough  for  that  purpose.  Yet 
not  a  single  comment  of  doubt  passed  her  watch- 
ful lips.  On  the  contrary,  she  turned  to  him  and 
said: 

"  I  see  plainly  that  I  shall  have  to  join  the  com- 
pany of  the  insane  and  immoral,  and  encourage 
you  to  take  out  your  capital." 

"  Ah,  Tamar,  I  knew  you  would  come  round 
when  you  had  got  the  hang  of  the  thing,"  he  said; 
and  he  rose  and  walked  up  and  down  the  room, 
looking  now  at  a  piece  of  Capo  di  Monte,  and 
now  at  an  old  benitier  hanging  on  the  wall.  It 
struck  her  how  curiously  detached  he  had  sud- 
denly become  from  his  own  affairs.  He  seemed 
far  more  interested  in  the  antiques. 

He  sat  down  after  a  time,  and  she  noticed  that 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     187 

he  ceased  to  make  suggestions,  or  to  exert  his 
brain  to  any  great  extent.  Then  it  was  that  she 
realized  with  a  tender  pitifulness,  which  increased 
her  reawakened  deep  love  for  him,  that  he  was 
worn  out,  and  mentally  unable  to  cope  with  the 
disaster  which  confronted  him.  She  remembered 
of  old  that  he  hated  any  allusion  to  his  mental  or 
physical  fatigue;  and  she  pretended  to  ignore  his 
passiveness,  and  continued  to  behave  towards  him 
as  if  he  were  collaborating  with  her  in  this  labor, 
instead  of  leaving  it  to  her  alone. 

But  when,  later  on,  she  asked  him  a  question 
about  one  of  Sanford's  plays,  which,  to  her  joy, 
apparently  had  a  clean  record,  and  could  there- 
fore safely  be  sent  in  as  an  example  of  Adrian's 
"  honorable  dealings,"  she  saw  that  he  was  fast 
asleep. 

For  quite  half  an  hour  she  scarcely  moved. 
She  touched  books,  letters  and  papers  with  a 
noiselessness  of  which  no  one  except  herself  would 
have  been  capable.  At  last,  when  the  lapse  of 
time  had  made  it  clear  that  he  was  in  a  deep  sleep 
of  exhaustion,  she  rose,  crept  like  a  mouse  out  of 
the  inner  room,  and  returned  with  a  soft  warm 
shawl  which  she  spread  over  him.  Then  she  fed 
the  fire.  She  lifted  each  piece  of  coal  with  studied 
care,  and  glanced  anxiously  at  Adrian  to  reassure 
herself  that  she  was  not  disturbing  him. 

So   Tamar  watched  over  him,   guarding  him 


1 88     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

from  all  ill,  as  she  would  fain  have  guarded  him 
from  the  disaster  which  she  clearly  saw  was 
threatening  his  outer  circumstances.  There  he 
rested,  in  his  own  place,  in  his  own  niche  in  the 
inner  room;  and  as  she  bent  over  the  little  master- 
ful presence,  and  looked  at  the  keen  intellectual 
face,  she  knew  for  certain  that  she  had  never 
banished  him  from  the  niche  in  her  heart  of 
hearts,  and  that  the  love  with  which  she  had 
struggled  and  battled  these  seven  long  dreary 
years  had  but  been  gathering  added  strength, 
against  which  no  further  resistance  was  possible. 
But  she  did  not  wish  to  resist. 

She  was  thankful,  thankful  to  give  in  at  last. 
Yes,  he  had  spoken  true  words.  He  and  she 
were  one.  They  were  comrades  by  nature,  meant 
for  each  other.  They  knew  each  other  through 
and  through,  and  no  mere  details  of  chance  could 
alter  this  root  fact,  either  for  him  or  for  her. 
Alpenrose,  his  little  fairy  daughter,  might  claim 
the  purest,  tenderest  part  of  his  heart:  his  wife 
might  claim  the  inner  shrine  of  the  temple :  Nell, 
or  any  other  woman,  might  claim  a  secret  altar 
within  the  sacred  precincts;  but  she,  Tamar,  held 
die  key  which  unlocked  the  clasped  book  where 
her  name,  and  her  name  only,  was  written  in  im- 
perishable characters.  She  knew  that,  as  surely 
as  she  knew  that  his  name  was  engraven  in  her 
heart,  and  set  in  precious  stones  found  in  rarest 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     189 

rock,  and  that  no  tyranny  of  soul  and  spirit  which 
he  had  exercised  on  her  in  the  past:  no  scorn  and 
cruelty  which  he  had  shown  her  when  he  had 
wearied  of  the  task  of  conquering  her  sullen 
temperament:  no  estrangement,  however  long 
drawn  out:  no  memory  of  humiliated  pride,  and 
no  triumph  of  mental  rebirth  could,  in  essence, 
separate  her  from  him,  or  him  from  her. 

They  belonged  to  each  other  by  reason  of  their 
natures,  their  outlook,  their  methods,  their  aims 
and  ambitions.  This  very  predicament  in  which 
he  now  found  himself,  might  well  have  been  hers, 
given  the  same  conditions  and  the  same  possi- 
bilities :  for  their  temptations,  tacitly  admitted  by 
them  both,  had  always  been  identical. 

She  shook  her  head,  sorrowfully  for  herself  and 
her  own  dishonorable  tendencies,  as  well  as  for 
those  of  Adrian  Steele.  She  wondered  whether 
in  union,  since  they  loved  each  other,  they  could 
have  kept  each  other  in  check;  or  whether  they 
would  only  have  accentuated  each  other's  failings, 
and  prepared  for  themselves  a  double  disaster. 
Or  would  they  have  been  able  to  pursue  their 
chosen  course  with  added  carefulness,  and  thus 
save  themselves  from  the  disgrace  of  ever  being 
found  out?  Which  would  it  have  been?  She 
could  not  say.  But  at  least  they  would  have  been 
together,  and  if  ruin  were  to  have  been  their 
portion,  they  could  have  faced  it  side  by  side. 


190     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Whereas  now,  he  stood  alone,  and  she  stood  alone. 
She  had  not  even  the  right  to  share  his  mis- 
fortunes. 

"But  why  shouldn't  I  make  the  right?"  she 
said  to  herself  almost  fiercely.  "  Yes,  I  will  make 
the  right.  If  it's  true  that  money  can  help  to 
solve  the  problem,  what  is  there  to  prevent  me 
from  adding  some  of  my  own  money  to  that 
£15,000,  so  as  to  raise  a  sufficient  sum  at  once 
to  pay  off  all  the  arrears,  and  with  accumulated 
interest  too  ?  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  me  — 
nothing,  except  my  own  reluctance  to  part  with 
my  money.  But  I  could  overcome  that  for  his 
sake,  if  I  could  make  sure  that  money  would  save 
and  reestablish  his  honor." 

This  was  her  thought  one  minute,  and  the  next 
minute  her  love  had  soared  higher.  She  would 
sacrifice  her  money  on  the  barest  chance  of 
rescuing  him  from  his  difficulties.  And  now  her 
love  took  an  eagle's  flight:  she  would  sacrifice  her 
money  on  no  chance  at  all  that  either  he  or  she 
could  see.  So  in  this  way,  at  least,  she  could  link 
her  life  with  his,  if  only  for  a  passing  crisis. 

With  an  excitement  which  had  something  truly 
pathetic  in  it,  she  began  to  count  up  her  consider- 
able investments,  and  to  plan  how  she  could  best 
realize  on  some  of  her  valuable  antiques.  Yes, 
she  would  part  with  this,  she  would  part  with  that. 
One  or  two  of  the  dealers  would  only  too  gladly 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     191 

secure  some  of  her  treasures;  and  Bramfield,  her 
jewel-merchant  friend,  would,  of  course,  buy  her 
rubies  and  her  finest  pearls.  In  the  midst  of  her 
calculations,  she  had  a  sudden  attack  of  misgiving, 
and  turned  again  to  Adrian's  accounts  and  state- 
ments to  satisfy  herself  that  there  was  some  faint 
hope  of  warding  off  the  danger  by  money.  But 
soon  all  personal  concern  was  .again  swept  away 
in  sorrowful  pity  for  his  plight  and  in  a  passionate 
determination  to  stand  by  him  at  all  costs. 

"  No,  he  shall  not  be  allowed  to  lose  hope  as 
long  as  I  can  keep  hope  alive  in  him,"  she  said. 
"  He  must  be  encouraged  to  believe  that  we  can 
straighten  things  out.  If  I  put  my  money  into 
the  venture,  he  will  believe  it." 

She  glanced  at  him,  and  she  shuddered  a  little. 

"  No,  he  shall  not  be  allowed  to  lose  hope,"  she 
said.  "  If  he  loses  hope,  nothing  remains  for  him 
except  — " 

She  broke  off.  Hailsham's  words  came  back  to 
her :  "  //  /  were  Adrian  Steele,  I  know  what  I 
should  do." 

"  No,  no  —  not  that,"  she  whispered;  and  she 
covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  in  an  effort  to 
shut  out  the  vision  which  rose  before  her. 

The  shop  door  rang.  She  heard  it,  and  this 
time  hastened  to  answer  it,  so  as  to  prevent  a 
repetition  of  the  jarring  sound  which  might  arouse 
Adrian  Steele  from  his  sleep.  She  stole  out  of 


192     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

the  inner  room  and  closed  the  door.  She  found 
her  jewel-merchant  friend,  Christopher  Bramfield, 
in  the  shop. 

"  T.  Scott,"  he  said  eagerly,  "  I  thought  I  must 
just  look  in  upon  you  for  a  few  minutes.  I  want 
you  to  see  this  opal,  which  will  delight  your  heart 
and  eyes.  I  myself  have  never  seen  one  that  I 
like  better.  Isn't  he  a  handsome  fellow?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  taking  it  mechanically  in  her 
hands  and  holding  it  up  to  the  light. 

"  And  this  red  tourmaline,"  he  said.  "  What 
do  you  think  of  it?  Isn't  it  amazingly  like  a  very 
fine  ruby  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  Tamar  answered,  without  interest  or 
enthusiasm. 

"  And  here  I  have  a  few  choice  little  rubies  of 
finest  water,"  he  went  on.  "  I  know  you  love  to 
see  them  all  together." 

He  opened  a  little  packet,  and  displayed  about 
a  hundred  little  rubies  of  extraordinary  brilliancy. 
He  poured  them  like  a  magic  cascade  on  to  a 
piece  of  tissue  paper,  and  with  a  tiny  pair  of 
forceps  separated  them  out  from  each  other.  At 
another  time  Tamar  would  have  been  thrilled 
with  delight,  for  she  dearly  loved  to  feast  her  eyes 
on  a  glittering  mass  of  precious  stones.  But 
to-day  she  just  glanced  at  them,  and  nodded  her 
head  with  listless  approval. 

"Aren't  you  well,  T.  Scott?"  Bramfield  said, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     193 

staring  at  her  in  disappointment,  for  this  was  not 
the  T.  Scott  to  whom  he  was  accustomed:  the  T. 
Scott  who  worshiped  precious  stones  and  whose 
greatest  delight  was  to  drop  in  at  Ludgate  Circus, 
where  he  had  his  offices,  and  sit  enraptured,  whilst 
he  showed  her  diamonds,  rubies,  sapphires, 
emeralds,  and  every  kind  of  precious  or  semi- 
precious stone. 

"  Aren't  you  well?  "  he  repeated. 

She  did  not  seem  to  hear  or  heed  his  ques- 
tion. 

"Mr.  Bramfield,"  she  said  dreamily,  "  if  I  want 
to  sell  some  of  my  stones,  I  suppose  you  will  take 
them  from  me,  or  arrange  about  them?" 

"Sell  some  of  your  stones?"  he  asked  in 
astonishment.  "  Well,  of  course,  if  you  want  to 
sell  them,  I'll  do  anything  you  wish.  That  you 
know  well,  don't  you  ?  But  it's  scarcely  credible." 

"  I  want  to  sell  them,"  she  said  doggedly. 

"Well,  I'd  better  see  them  now,"  Bramfield 
said,  making  for  the  inner  room. 

"  No,  no,"  Tamar  said  hastily.  "  Not  now. 
Don't  go  in  there  now.  Some  one  is  asleep 
there." 

"  Who  is  it?  "  he  demanded. 

"  That's  my  affair,  Mr.  Bramfield,"  Tamar  said 
proudly. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  T.  Scott,"  he  said  humbly. 

He  replaced  his  jewels  in  his  pocket,  and  was 


194     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

preparing  to  be  off,  when  he  began  to  fumble  in 
his  coat  pocket,  and  brought  out  a  little  box. 

"  By  the  way,"  he  said,  "  Willoughby  wrote,  in 
response  to  my  letter,  that  he  had  bought  those 
rubies  from  a  young  clergyman  by  name  of  Forest. 
Here  they  are.  They're  not  bad;  but  the  color 
is  unequal,  isn't  it?  And  there  are  pretty  bad 
feathers  in  them.  Still  I  agree  with  you  that  they 
are  attractive  in  their  way.  Well,  I'll  go  now. 
And  about  the  stones,  you  know  I  would  do  any- 
thing for  you,  don't  you?  But  don't  sell  them. 
Take  my  advice.  Keep  them.  If  you  are  in 
difficulties,  just  remember  that  you  have  a  friend 
who'd  never  fail  you." 

Tamar  nodded  sulkily,  and  Bramfield  hurried 
off,  but  not  without  a  puzzled  and  anxious  glance 
towards  that  inner  room.  She  watched  him  dis- 
appear, and  stood  for  a  moment  contrasting  his 
tall  and  handsome  presence  with  that  tired  and 
broken  little  figure  in  the  inner  room.  She  had 
made  her  choice  between  Bramfield  and  Steele 
years  ago,  and  had  held  to  it  unflinchingly, 
throughout  every  phase  of  her  desolation.  Nell 
had  passed  on  and  found  consolation  and  strength 
in  the  love  of  another  man;  but  she,  Tamar,  had 
never  passed  on.  If  any  one  could  have  helped 
her  to  forget,  it  was  Christopher  Bramfield,  who 
had  loved  her,  wanted  her  for  his  wife,  and  when 
she  had  refused  him,  remained  her  true  and 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     195 

honorable  friend.  But  she  could  not  pass  on. 
She  had  waited,  unconsciously,  perhaps;  yet  she 
had  waited. 

'  Yes,"  she  said  aloud,  "  I  have  waited." 

As  she  spoke,  she  suddenly  became  aware  of  the 
crucifix  rubies  which  she  had  wished  to  possess, 
and  which  she  was  now  holding  unnoticed  in  the 
palm  of  her  right  hand.  She  looked  at  them,  and 
her  thoughts  sped  instantly  to  Richard  Forest. 

"  Something  set  apart,"  she  said. 

She  put  the  stones  into  her  pocket-book. 

"  What  would  he  say  about  all  this  cheating  of 
Adrian's,  I  wonder?"  she  asked  herself. 

"  Well,  well,  that's  neither  here  nor  there,"  she 
answered  herself  brusquely.  "  It's  not  his  affair." 

But  she  could  not  immediately  banish  Richard 
Forest  from  her  mind,  and  her  thoughts  lingered 
awhile  with  him  in  that  lonely  vicarage,  in  that 
desolate  little  hamlet,  cut  off  from  the  activities 
of  the  world.  He  had  written  to  say  that  he  had 
begun  the  repairs  of  the  church,  and  that  he  hoped 
she  would  come  and  see  what  was  being  done  with 
her  gifts,  which  had  made  him  exceedingly  happy. 
She  remembered  this  now,  and  she  smiled. 

"  Adrian  would  be  amused  if  he  learnt  that  his 
check  for  £19  was  helping  to  repair  a  church," 
she  said.  "  But  he  would  not  grudge  it  to 
Richard  Forest  —  if  he  knew  him." 

For  an  instant  an  idea  presented  itself.     That 


196     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

desolate  little  place  would  be  a  safe  retreat  for  any 
one  in  trouble.  How  would  it  be  to  persuade 
Adrian  to  go  there  out  of  reach  and  in  seclusion, 
whilst  she  tried  to  arrange  his  affairs?  So  far, 
one  thing  only  was  clear  to  her  in  the  intricate 
problem  confronting  her.  It  was  this:  he  must 
be  prevented  from  seeing  any  of  these  people  who 
were  pursuing  him.  He  was,  in  his  present  con- 
dition, too  broken  to  hold  his  own  against  them. 
He  must  be  urged  to  rest  and  recover  himself  in 
circumstances  which  would  ensure  him  freedom 
from  harassing  interviews  and  hostile  encounters. 
Yes,  it  was  a  good  idea  to  send  him  to  Richard 
Forest. 

With  a  smile  of  tender  protectiveness,  Tamar 
stole  back  to  her  post.  She  fed  the  fire,  and 
kneeling  down,  added  another  warm  covering  to 
the  shawl  which  she  had  spread  over  Adrian 
Steele.  The  late  evening  wore  into  the  night, 
and  the  night  into  the  dawn.  He  still  slept,  and 
Tamar  still  watched  with  untiring  and  anxious 
care. 


CHAPTER  XI 

VT7"HEN  Adrian  Steele  awoke  from  his  long 
*  *  sleep  of  exhaustion,  he  was  at  first  amazed 
to  find  himself  in  the  inner  room  of  Tamar's  shop. 
But  gradually  his  ideas  arranged  themselves,  and 
he  remembered  how  utter  weariness  of  brain  had 
crept  over  him  whilst  he  was  trying  to  explain  to 
her  his  complicated  affairs,  how  he  had  heard  her 
later  questionings  as  in  a  dream,  vaguely,  and 
how,  finally,  he  had  heard  some  kind  of  murmur 
which  did  not  reach  him  in  any  intelligible  form. 
Then  followed  oblivion,  from  which  he  now 
emerged  as  the  clock  was  striking  the  hour  of  five. 
Yes,  here  he  was  in  Tamar's  home  again, 
amongst  all  the  antiques  which  had  always  in- 
terested him  in  the  past.  How  natural  it  was  to 
see  them.  How  natural,  too,  to  be  resting  on  the 
little  Jacobean  couch.  And  there  was  un- 
doubtedly Tamar  bending  over  her  roller  desk. 
A  comfortable  fire  in  the  room  too:  an  extraor- 
dinary phenomenon,  that.  This,  oddly  enough, 
impressed  him  more  than  anything  else  in  the 
situation.  It  amused  him  fearfully,  but  touched 
him  too. 

197 


198     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  She  has  been  ruining  herself  in  coals  for  my 
sake,"  he  thought. 

"  Tamar,"  he  said  aloud. 

Tamar  rose  from  her  chair  and  came  to  him. 

"  I'm  glad  you've  awakened,"  she  said.  "  I've 
been  anxious  about  you." 

"Did  you  think  I  was  dead?"  he  said. 
"  Well,  you  see  I'm  not.  A  tired,  worn-out  brain ; 
not  a  dead  body.  But  perhaps  there  is  not  much 
difference.  Look  here,  Tamar,  I  want  to  say 
something  to  you.  You  have  been  ruining  your- 
self in  coals  all  the  night,  to  keep  me  warm.  I 
tremble  to  think  what  you've  spent  in  coals  for 
my  sake.  Thank  you.  Very  handsomely  have 
you  behaved.  I  shouldn't  have  thought  it  of  you, 
but  I've  been  mistaken.  One  of  my  many  mis- 
takes, Tamar.  And  how  about  some  coffee?  I 
think  I'd  better  make  that.  You  were  never  good 
at  making  coffee.  Other  virtues  you  had,  but  not 
that!" 

She  smiled  to  hear  his  old  teasing  tone  again, 
and  pointed  to  the  coffee-pot  which  she  had  put 
ready  for  his  use. 

"  I  knew  you'd  want  coffee,  and  I  knew  you'd 
make  that  remark,"  she  said,  with  a  soft  laugh. 

'  There  is  very  little  about  me  that  you  have 
not  known,"  he  said.  "  When  I  look  back  — 
well,  it's  no  use  looking  back  —  or  forward.  I 
tell  you  I'm  fearfully,  frightfully  happy  to  be  here 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     199 

again.  Let  us  enjoy  this  present  moment.  But 
we  can't  enjoy  it  without  milk,  Tamar.  Now 
don't  tell  me  that  because  you've  been  extravagant 
in  coal,  you  must  be  stingy  in  milk!  Shall  I 
fetch  it  from  the  well-known  empty  larder?  " 

She  laughed  and  nodded.  She  was  frightfully 
happy  herself. 

He  sprang  up  from  the  couch,  and  was  passing 
through  the  kitchen,  when  he  turned  round  and 
surveyed  his  surroundings. 

"  Tamar,  you've  got  a  number  of  new  things 
which  you  must  explain  to  me,"  he  said.  "  And 
I  must  also  demand  that  the  iron  safe  be  unlocked, 
and  that  you  show  me  your  own  private  precious 
stones,  including  that  superb  piece  of  magnesia 
bottle  which  you  fondly  believed  to  be  a  fine 
sapphire.  By  the  way,  did  you  put  it  in  your 
book?" 

"  Go  and  fetch  the  milk,"  she  said,  with  her 
sullen  smile.  "  We'll  unlock  the  safe  when  we've 
had  some  coffee." 

He  went  off,  and  returned  with  a  milk  jug  and 
some  scones  on  a  plate. 

"  Aha,  I  have  found  some  old  friends  which 
will  toast  nicely,"  he  said  boyishly.  "  Many  a 
time  I've  thought  of  these  scones,  Tamar,  and 
regretted  them  exceedingly.  They  used  to  tempt 
me  to  eat  when  nothing  else  would.  Do  you 
remember?  " 


200     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  watching  him  closely  as  he 
began  the  preparations  for  breakfast,  of  which  he 
appeared  to  have  taken  entire  charge.  She  was 
thinking  how  amazing  it  was  that  he  was  able  in 
this  way  to  detach  his  mind  from  his  anxieties  and 
take  his  part  in  the  set  of  circumstances  provided 
for  him  at  the  moment,  by  fate. 

She  knew  it,  of  course,  to  be  only  a  merciful 
suspension,  and  realized  that,  at  any  minute,  a 
peremptory  knock  of  summons  would  come  to  the 
door  of  his  brain.  But  meantime  he  was  un- 
disturbed and  unharassed,  and  she  was  beyond  all 
telling  grateful  and  proud  that  she,  and  no  one 
else,  had  been  chosen  to  accord  him  this  reprieve. 

"  Let's  open  the  safe  now,  Tamar,  before  you 
turn  sulky,"  he  said  gaily,  in  the  midst  of  toasting 
a  scone.  "  You  used  to  have  trays  and  trays  of 
rings,  and  boxes  full  of  enameled  watches,  and  an 
unfailing  supply  of  cameo  brooches  for  the  Amer- 
icans. I  should  like  to  see  everything  you  have 
—  rings  and  watches  and  vinaigrettes  and  neck- 
laces and  purses  of  beadwork  and  pomanders  — 
everything  —  and  above  all,  your  stones,  espe- 
cially your  rubies.  Out  with  them,  Tamar.  Put 
them  all  on  the  table  where  we  can  see  them 
properly.  You  always  hated  doing  that,  didn't 
you?  And  I  always  hated  having  to  poke  my 
head  into  the  safe.  That's  right.  Why,  you 
have  improved!  You're  quite  obliging!  Ah, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     201 

there's  my  old  friend,  the  piece  of  magnesia  bot- 
tle !  What  a  fine  specimen !  I  should  know  it 
anywhere  —  even  on  the  marble  floor  of  heaven." 

She  did  not  speak  a  word  as  she  brought  out 
all  her  treasures  and  laid  them  on  the  table,  but 
she  was  secretly  enraptured  to  hear  once  more  his 
playful  teasing  of  her,  which  had  been  his  own 
peculiar  and  characteristic  form  of  making  love  to 
her.  She  had  longed  to  hear  it  all  these  dreary 
years,  and  now  that  the  music  of  it  broke  upon 
the  paralyzing  silence,  she  realized  all  it  had 
meant  to  her  in  the  past.  Here  was  his  gentle 
fun  again,  his  boyishness,  his  lovableness,  his 
charm,  and  added  to  this,  his  trust  in  her  and  his 
love  for  her  and  his  happiness  in  being  with  her. 
There  was  no  mistaking  that.  Adrian,  as  he 
divided  himself  between  his  "  domestic  duties  " 
and  his  delight  over  her  possessions,  was  the 
picture  of  happiness. 

"  Here's  your  coffee,  my  Tamar,"  he  said. 
"  Made  in  my  best  fashion.  Good  gracious,  what 
a  beautiful  pendant!  I  wonder  where  you  got 
that  from.  And  here's  your  scone.  Now  you 
can't  find  any  fault  with  the  toasting  of  it,  so  don't 
try.  I  say,  that's  a  fine  ring,  and  no  mistake. 
One  of  your  best  rubies,  I  suppose.  Why,  I've 
forgotten  the  sugar.  No,  don't  interfere,  Tamar. 
You  don't  really  think  I  need  to  be  told  where  the 
sugar  is  kept  in  this  establishment?  Of  course  I 


202     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

remember  that  it's  in  yon  black  cupboard,  in  the 
ugly  old  ginger  jar  which  I  never  allowed  you  to 
sell.  Woe  unto  you  if  you've  sold  it  now." 

He  opened  the  black  cupboard,  and  there  stood 
the  old  ginger  jar  in  its  accustomed  corner.  He 
took  it  in  his  hands,  put  it  on  the  table,  and 
turned  round  slowly  to  her. 

"  How  was  it  I  missed  my  way,  I  wonder?  "  he 
said,  half  to  himself.  "  Can  you  tell?" 

She  made  no  answer.  She  pretended  to  test 
the  hinges  of  an  old  porcelain  snuff-box. 

"  I  was  a  fool,"  he  said,  with  intense  sadness. 
"  Yes,  I  was  a  fool,  and  did  not  realize  that  I  had 
found  my  true  home,  my  true  mate.  If  I  had 
realized  it,  all  the  tyranny  of  my  nature  would 
have  broken  down,  and  you  would  not  have  learnt 
to  hate  me." 

"  I  did  not  learn  to  hate  you,  Adrian,"  she  said 
in  a  low  voice.  "  I  have  tried  —  and  failed." 

"  Tamar,  Tamar,"  he  cried,  "  I  have  never 
really  loved  any  one  but  you  —  none  of  the  others 
really  —  neither  Nell  —  nor  —  nor  my  wife  — 
yes,  I  say  it  —  I  say  it  because  it  is  true  —  true. 
You've  been  the  one  I've  loved,  and  I  have  been 
mad  to  lose  you  —  I  — " 

He  broke  off,  for  at  that  moment  his  leather 
paper-case  fell  down  from  Tamar's  desk,  with  a 
thud,  to  the  floor.  He  glanced  at  it,  and  his  spell 
of  forgetfulness  came  to  a  sudden  end.  He 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     203 

stooped  and  picked  it  up,  and  Tamar  collected  the 
scattered  documents.  A  look  of  great  pain  and 
fear  came  over  his  countenance  as  he  watched  her. 
He  seemed  to  shrink  into  even  frailer  form  and 
tinier  stature. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  made  nothing  of  my  — 
my  impossible  complications,"  he  said  slowly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have,"  Tamar  answered  firmly. 
"  I  made  a  careful  study  last  night  of  your  po- 
sition. I'm  not  sure  yet,  but  I  think  I  do  see  a 
way  out.  Mercifully  there's  your  capital.  I'm 
quite  reconciled  now  to  your  parting  with  it.  And 
I  go  farther.  As  you  have  not  enough  money 
saved  to  reimburse  these  '  taxes  '  of  yours,  I  am 
ready  to  put  some  of  my  money  into  the  ven- 
ture." 

"Your  money,  Tamar?"  he  exclaimed  in  joy- 
ful surprise. 

She  nodded. 

"Your  money?"  he  repeated  excitedly.  "If 
you  are  willing  to  do  that,  then  you  must  indeed 
believe  that  there  is  a  fair  chance  of  dealing  with 
the  situation." 

"  Yes,  I  do  believe  it,"  she  said.  "  You  know 
perfectly  well  that  I  don't  part  with  my  money 
lightly.  No  one  would  get  me  to." 

"  You  put  fresh  courage  into  me,  Tamar,"  he 
said,  holding  out  both  his  hands.  "  You  make  a 
new  man  of  me.  Last  night  I  believed  that  I  had 


204     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

had  my  innings,  and  that  the  game  was  up.  But 
if  you  think  that  there  may  possibly  be  some 
solution  to  the  problem,  why,  there  must  be.  For 
after  my  own  brain,  which  has  failed  me  —  yes,  I 
know  it  has  failed  me  —  yours  is  the  only  other 
brain  which  I  could  and  would  trust.  You 
wouldn't  mislead  me,  would  you?  " 

"  No,  I  wouldn't  mislead  you,"  she  said  slowly. 
"  I  am  prepared  to  raise  three  or  four  thousand 
pounds.  I  shall  see  it  all  back,  with  interest  at  5 
per  cent.,  I  am  confident.  No,  rather  say  6  per 
cent." 

"  Any  per  cent,  you  like  I "  he  exclaimed. 
"  The  great  point  is  that  you  believe  there  is  a 
chance  of  squaring  matters.  If  I  can  only  get  out 
of  this  network,  I  can  soon  pay  off  the  loan.  I 
can  still  make  large  sums  of  money,  even  if  I  have 
to  run  straight.  And  I  intend  to  run  straight. 
I  made  that  vow  to  myself  when  I  was  battling 
for  my  little  girl's  life.  Of  course,  any  per  cent, 
you  wish!  How  like  you  to  think  of  that!  But 
you  are  quite  right.  Business  is  business.  Al- 
ways the  old  Tamar,  I  see." 

"  Yes,"  Tamar  said. 

She  had  turned  her  back  to  him  for  the  mo- 
ment, and  he  did  not  see  the  expression  of  true 
sacrifice  on  her  face  as  she  accepted  from  him  the 
usual  imputation  of  avariciousness,  which  she  had, 
on  this  occasion  at  least,  deliberately  assumed  in 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     205 

order  to  mislead  him.  But  she  was  rewarded  by 
the  success  of  her  secret  plan.  He  was  reborn. 

"  Yes,"  she  said  again,  as  she  took  up  one  of 
his  sets  of  accounts  and  glanced  at  it.  u  Business 
is  business.  But  I  tell  you  frankly  that  I  should 
not  consent  to  mix  myself  up  with  the  monetary 
side  of  this  affair,  if  you  had  not  been  able  to  show 
two  or  three  clean  records  amongst  the  plays. 
This  play  of  Sanford's,  for  instance  The  Guest, 
and  Cecil's  One  Nail  Drives  out  Another,  and 
Hailsham's  Winning  Number.  It  is  a  good  thing 
you  took  that  precaution." 

He  smiled. 

"  I  thought  and  planned  it  all  out  carefully  at 
the  time,"  he  said. 

The  smile  faded  at  once. 

"  I  only  wish  I  could  plan  now,"  he  said.  "  I 
can't,  Tamar.  It's  a  most  curious  thing,  but  I 
positively  can't.  I  feel  —  well,  I  can  only  tell 
you  I  feel  outside  of  my  own  skin.  I  could  not 
make  a  plan  to  save  my  life." 

"  Don't  try  to  do  it,"  she  said.  "  I'll  plan  for 
you.  Now  listen,  Adrian.  First  of  all  you  must 
go  home  and  tell  your  wife  that  you  were  taken 
ill  and  were  brought  to  my  shop,  where  you 
remained  the  whole  night.  If  she  wishes  to  come 
and  assure  herself  of  facts,  she  can  do  so.  The 
only  thing  you  need  not  tell  her,  unless  you  wish 
it,  is  that  we  are  known  to  each  other.  I  don't 


206     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

suppose  she  has  heard  of  my  existence  from  you, 
so  that  this  item  would  seem  to  be  unnecessary. 
But  that  is  for  you  to  decide.  Needless  to  say,  if 
she  comes  to  see  me,  she  will  never  learn  from  me 
that  you  are  anything  to  me,  except  a  stranger 
brought  to  my  gates.  Unless,  of  course,  you  wish 
otherwise." 

"  No,  no,  I  don't  wish  it  otherwise,"  he  said 
gravely.  "  It  is  better  so.  *  A  stranger  brought 
to  your  gates.' ' 

Tamar  nodded  in  a  businesslike  fashion,  and 
dismissed  the  matter  from  her  mind.  Grace  evi- 
dently did  not  count  in  her  estimate  of  the  im- 
portances of  life. 

"  And  now  we  come  to  something  far  more 
vital,"  she  continued.  "  If  your  little  child  con- 
tinues to  recover,  I  want  you,  in  a  few  days,  to  go 
away  out  of  every  one's  reach.  For  a  few  days 
you'll  be  able  to  refuse  to  see  people,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  you  have  serious  illness  in  the 
house.  And  afterwards,  I  am  convinced,  it  would 
be  safer  for  you  not  to  risk  running  across  any  of 
the  band.  I  lay  great  stress  on  this.  You  are 
not  at  your  best,  in  fact,  you  are  at  your  very 
worst,  and  you  might  be  taken  at  a  disadvantage, 
and  might  injure  your  own  cause." 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  know  that.  And  I  suppose 
that's  why  I  dread  seeing  any  of  them.  If  I  felt 
more  fit,  there  is  nothing  I  should  enjoy  so  much. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     207 

Nothing,  Tamar.  But  at  present  there  is  no 
prancing  in  me.  All  the  same,  I  can't  go  away. 
I  could  not  leave  my  little  child.  I  could  not 
dream  of  leaving  Alpenrose.  That  would  be 
quite  impossible.  Entirely  impossible." 

"  Very  well,"  Tamar  said,  making  up  her  mind 
secretly  not  to  press  him.  "  But  promise  me  that 
you'll  see  no  one  and  do  nothing  until  you've 
heard  from  me.  Don't  answer  any  of  these  let- 
ters until  you've  heard  from  me.  Promise  me 
that.  It  would  relieve  my  anxiety." 

"  I  promise,  gladly  enough  too,"  he  answered. 
"  I'll  see  no  one,  and  I'll  do  nothing.,  But  it  is 
certain  that  I  have  definitely  joined  the  great 
company  of  irresponsibles,  isn't  it,  Tamar?" 

"  Don't  be  absurd,"  Tamar  said,  turning 
away. 

He  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hand  for  a 
moment. 

"  It  isn't  absurd,"  he  said  at  length,  "  and  you 
know  it.  I've  joined  that  company,  laid  down 
my  burden,  and  you've  taken  it  up  for  me.  But 
there  is  this  amount  of  difference  between  me  and 
most  of  them.  I  know  what  you  are  doing  for 
me  with  that  clever  brain  of  yours.  I  know,  my 
Tamar.  In  no  way  have  I  deserved  it.  That 
must  be  obvious  to  you  as  well  as  to  me." 

"  Those  who  need  each  other,  have  to  seek  each 
other  out,"  Tamar  answered. 


io8     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Then  in  time  you  would  have  sought  me 
out?"  he  asked  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  she  said,  "  especially  if  — 
like  yourself  —  I  had  got  myself  into  difficulties." 

"  Ah,  that's  the  test,"  he  said,  "  the  test  of  one's 
love,  one's  fundamental  love  and  imperishable 
trust.  And  you're  sure  you  would  have  come  to 
me?" 

"  Yes  —  not  willingly,  but  —  I  —  should  have 
come,"  she  answered.  "  You  —  you  may  make 
your  mind  easy  about  that.  I  should  have  come 
because  —  because  I  could  not  have  helped  my- 
self." 

"  Thank  you  for  telling  me,"  he  said  gently, 
and  he  stood  watching  her  wistfully  as  she  sorted 
out  from  his  papers  the  special  documents  she 
wanted  and  put  them  in  the  top  drawer  of  her 
desk. 

He  came  near  to  her. 

"  Tamar,"  he  said,  "  I  know  you  love  me,  but 
you  have  not  said  so  once." 

She  looked  up  at  him. 

"  I  love  you,"  she  said. 

He  came  nearer  to  her. 

"  Tamar,"  he  said  in  a  voice  that  trembled, 
"  never  once  have  I  held  you  in  my  arms.  Might 
it  be  now?" 

"Why  not?"  she  answered,  as  though  to  her- 
self. "Why  not?" 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     209 

So  for  the  first  and  last  time  in  their  lives  they 
stood  folded  in  each  other's  arms,  in  a  silence 
which  had  something  of  sacredness  in  it. 

The  next  moment  he  had  gone. 

The  clock  was  striking  eight  when  Adrian  Steele 
pressed  the  bell  at  his  own  front  door  and  passed 
into  his  home.  He  found  his  wife  and  the  whole 
household  in  a  state  of  great  agitation  over  his 
mysterious  absence.  His  wife  had  been  sitting  up 
all  night,  and  as  soon  as  the  early  morning  had 
come,  she  had  telephoned  to  the  doctor  to  con- 
sult with  him  what  should  be  done  to  find  Adrian. 
They  both  agreed  that  he  must  have  been  taken 
ill,  and  had  probably  been  received  into  one  of 
the  hospitals.  They  were  telephoning  to  several 
of  the  hospitals  when  he  arrived  amongst  them, 
looking  haggard  and  ashen,  and  apparently  at  his 
last  gasp  of  strength. 

"  Yes,  you  are  right,  I  have  been  taken  ill,"  he 
explained.  "  I  suppose  I  must  have  collapsed  in 
the  street.  No,  I  haven't  been  to  an  hospital.  I 
appear  to  have  been  conveyed  to  a  second-hand 
antique  jewelry  shop,  and  the  owner,  a  Jewess, 
watched  over  me.  I  understand  I  passed  from  a 
long  unconsciousness  into  a  long  sleep.  When  I 
awoke,  she  gave  me  coffee,  and  here  I  am,  restored 
and  in  my  right  mind." 

"  Not  restored,"  the  doctor  said,  shaking  his 


210     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

head.  "  You  ought  to  go  away  for  a  change, 
Steele.  You're  worn  out." 

"  Yes,"  Grace  said,  half  crying  as  she  spoke. 
"  He  has  half  killed  himself  over  little  Alpenrose." 

"  Nonsense,  nonsense,"  Steele  said  gently.  "  I 
admit  I  am  not  myself.  Brain  fatigue.  That's 
all.  It  will  pass.  Apparently  I  have  to  sleep 
after  one  of  these  attacks.  I  assure  you  I  could 
sleep  for  hours  now,  doctor.  Most  curious.  My 
brain  won't  work.  Nothing  could  make  it  work. 
It  shuts  up  like  an  oyster.  I  try  to  think,  and  I 
can't." 

They  got  him  to  bed,  but  not  until  after  he 
had  satisfied  himself  that  Alpenrose  was  going  on 
well.  He  sat  by  the  child's  bedside  for  a  little 
while,  guarded  her  with  all  his  wonted  tenderness, 
caressed  the  black  doll,  kissed  the  little  darling 
hands  he  loved  so  well,  and  when  he  was  alone 
with  her,  whispered  some  confidences  to  her,  the 
import  of  which  was  known  only  to  himself. 

"  Yes,  little  one  dear,"  he  murmured,  "  it  will 
be  all  right  this  time.  Tamar  will  see  me  through. 
She  won't  desert  me.  She'll  see  me  through. 
And  there  won't  be  another  time,  Alpenrose,  my 
sweet.  I've  promised  you  that.  I'll  have  a  clean, 
snow-white  record  after  this.  Like  an  untouched 
Alpine  snowfield.  It  will  be  all  right  this  time." 

As  he  bent  over  the  child,  the  expression  on  his 
face  was  one  of  ineffable  nobleness  and  purity, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     211 

free  from  all  touch  of  craft,  contrivance,  treachery, 
deceit.  His  love  for  Alpenrose  had  ever  brought 
out  the  best  in  his  nature,  and  the  best  in  him  was 
triumphant  now,  transfiguring  his  countenance, 
lifting  him  up  on  wings,  wafting  him  to  the  temple 
of  ideals,  opening  the  inner  door  of  the  secret 
shrine  for  him  to  enter  and  seek  renewal.  If  his 
picture  could  have  been  painted  at  this  moment,  it 
would  have  been  the  presentment  of  some  fine 
and  lofty  spirit,  attuned  to  the  music  of  distant 
vision.  And  who  can  say  that  it  would  have  been 
a  false  portrait  of  him,  since  it  was  true  of  him 
when  that  side  of  his  complex  character  was  in  as- 
cendancy? 

His  wife  led  him  away,  and  he  tried  to  allay 
her  fears  about  him,  and  to  make  light  of  what  he 
called  his  "  temporary  surrender  to  inexplicable 
fatigue."  She  spoke  with  gratitude  of  the  kind- 
ness and  care  shown  him  by  the  dealer  in  antique 
jewelry,  and  told  Adrian  that  she  should  make 
a  point  of  writing  and  calling  at  once  to  thank  the 
Jewess.  She  asked  for  the  name  and  address  of 
his  friend  in  need,  and  Adrian  Steele  smiled  im- 
perceptibly as  he  breathed  the  words,  "  T.  Scott, 
Dean  Street."  He  thought  that  he  would  give  a 
good  deal  to  be  invisibly  present  at  that  interview. 

He  knew  that  Tamar  would  be  impersonal  and 
impervious,  and  that  Grace  would  never  guess  from 
her  manner  that  he  had  been  anything  else  but  a 


212     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  stranger  brought  to  her  gates."  He  knew  that 
Tamar  would  be  at  her  worst,  sullen  and  disagree- 
able, and  that  Grace,  whilst  remaining  grateful, 
would  nevertheless  be  relieved  to  find  this  curious 
person  devoid  of  all  attractive  charm.  He  knew 
all  this,  and  the  imperceptible  smile  strengthened 
itself  into  a  perceptible  expression  of  amusement 
which  lit  up  his  tired  face.  But  it  passed  away 
as  he  gave  his  wife  instructions  that  if  any  one 
called  to  see  him  on  urgent  business,  the  hospital 
nurse  was  to  receive  the  visitor  and  explain  to 
him  that  there  was  very  serious  illness  in  the  house, 
and  that  Mr.  Steele  requested  him  to  write  rather 
than  seek  a  personal  interview. 

"  Why  the  nurse,  Adrian  dear?  "  Grace  asked. 
"Why  not  I  myself?" 

"  Because  a  hospital  nurse  is  the  outward  and 
visible  sign  of  illness  in  the  house,"  he  answered 
firmly.  "  And  I  wish  it  to  be  known  that  there  is 
illness  here;  not  mine,  but  the  child's.  You  un- 
derstand, dear,  not  mine,  but  the  child's.  This  is 
my  wish.  Will  you  have  it  carried  out?  " 

"  Yes,  of  course,"  she  answered,  a  little  un- 
easily. 

As  she  was  nearing  the  door,  she  turned  round 
and  went  back  to  his  bed,  and  knelt  down  by  his 
side. 

"  Adrian,"  she  said  nervously,  "  are  you  then 
expecting  any  one  to  call  on  urgent  business?  Are 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     213 

you  by  any  chance  in  trouble?  I  thought  you 
seemed  so  upset  the  other  day  when  you  heard  that 
Mr.  Noble  was  here.  I  beg  of  you  to  tell  me.  You 
must  know  that  there  is  nothing  I  would  not  do 
for  you.  You've  always  been  good  and  kind  to 
me.  But  sometimes  —  sometimes  —  I  —  I  — 
wish  —  you  —  would  confide  in  me  more." 

He  stroked  her  head  soothingly,  and  was  silent 
for  a  moment.  He  was  thinking  of  what  he 
should  say  to  her.  He  at  last  decided  that  it  would 
be  better  to  tell  her  a  minute  portion  of  the  truth, 
in  order  to  allay  her  suspicions  and  gratify  her 
love. 

"  Grace  dear,"  he  said,  "  it  has  never  been  my 
habit  to  confide  in  people.  Reticence  has  ever 
been  part  of  my  nature.  It  does  not  imply  dis- 
trust in  you,  of  all  people.  It  does  not  imply 
anything.  It  stands  merely  for  a  temperamental 
necessity.  But  since  you  ask  me,  I  will  tell  you 
frankly  that  I  have  had  a  really  annoying  contre- 
temps with  one  of  my  clients  —  not  John  Noble. 
This  troublesome  client  of  mine  is  one  of  these  up- 
start bounders,  you  know,  who  get  a  swollen  head 
from  a  sudden  and  undeserved  success.  He  is  dis- 
appointed because  his  returns  do  not  reach  his  ex- 
aggerated expectations.  Until  I  have  decided 
whether  or  not  to  sue  him  for  libel,  of  which  I 
have  ample  proofs,  I  want  to  avoid  being  ques- 
tioned on  the  subject  by  any  of  my  other  clients. 


214     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

I  might  myself  say  libelous  things  which  would 
destroy  my  own  case.  Do  you  see?  So  that  it  is 
better  for  me  not  to  see  any  one  for  a  day  or  two. 
That  is  all.  Meanwhile,  I'll  rest  and  recover,  and 
little  Alpenrose's  illness  offers  a  legitimate  expla- 
nation of  my  invisibility.  Don't  be  worried  about 
me.  I  shall  be  quite  myself  in  a  few  days,  and 
more  than  able  to  deal  with  any  business  annoy- 
ance." 

"  My  poor  Adrian,  and  you  have  been  bearing 
this  trouble  as  well  as  Alpenrose's  illness,"  she 
said,  with  pity.  "  No  wonder  you're  worn  out." 

"  I  assure  you,  I  never  thought  of  it  once  dur- 
ing the  time  when  the  child  was  in  danger,"  he  said 
truthfully.  "  But  now  that  the  crisis  is  over,  one 
has  to  look  round." 

"  Thank  you  for  telling  me,"  she  said,  as  she 
rose  to  leave  him.  "  You  have  made  me  very 
happy  by  taking  me  into  your  confidence.  And 
be  sure,  dear,  that  all  your  instructions  shall  be 
carried  out  in  the  way  you  wish.  I  quite  under- 
stand. Try  and  not  worry  about  that  man.  When 
you're  stronger,  you  will  think  of  the  wisest  thing 
to  do,  and  do  it  wisely." 

After  she  had  gone,  Adrian  Steele  lay  thinking 
of  her  and  of  the  gulf  which,  unknown  to  her, 
stretched  between  them,  little  Alpenrose  being  the 
fairy  bridge  over  which  they  passed,  he  consciously, 
his  wife  unconsciously,  to  reach  each  other.  Well, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     215 

life  brought  that.  It  could  not  be  helped.  He 
dismissed  Grace  without  effort  from  his  mind,  and 
his  thoughts  sped  to  Tamar,  and  lingered  lov- 
ingly in  the  inner  room,  where  he  and  she  had 
spent  so  many  hours  of  comradeship,  and  where, 
for  the  first  time  to-day,  this  very  morning,  they 
had  stood  folded  in  each  other's  arms  in  a  passion- 
ate love  which  sought  expression  too  late  —  too 
late.  Why  had  he  discarded  her  when,  after  much 
battling,  he  had  won  her  love  in  the  past?  What 
devil  in  him  had  ever  prompted  him,  out  of  sheer 
masterfulness,  to  compel  a  reluctant  heart  to  love 
him,  and  then  to  turn  aside  as  one  having  no  con- 
cern with  the  havoc  which  he  had  deliberately  con- 
trived ? 

He  thought  of  Nell,  whom  in  the  past  he  had 
wished  to  dominate  because  she  was  a  modern 
product,  on  which  he  had  not  until  then  had  the 
chance  of  trying  his  devastating  influence.  He 
had  called  Nell  "  his  best  psychological  experi- 
ment "  until  he  met  Tamar,  whose  sullenness  had 
interested  and  attracted  him  from  the  first.  Where 
had  he  first  seen  Tamar?  Ah,  yes.  At  a  sale 
near  Westleton,  in  Suffolk.  He  remembered  tell- 
ing Nell  that  he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  the 
very  rudest  person  that  ever  walked  this  earth. 
He  smiled  now  as  he  recalled  his  old  remark  about 
her:  "  Manners  for  minerals  only.  No  one  else 
need  apply."  He  laughed  gently,  tenderly  over 


216     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

all  his  old  memories  of  her,  and  he  knew  it  to  be 
true  that  he  had  always  loved  her  and  understood 
her,  and  that  his  only  home  was  her  obstinate  and 
sullen  heart.  He  had  cared  for  Nell  in  a  way; 
but  not  in  this  way.  No,  his  feelings  for  Nell,  in 
spite  of  his  unkindness  to  her,  had  been  those  of 
sincere  regard  and  reverence.  Though  he  had 
tried  to  wreck  her,  he  was  fully  conscious  that 
there  was  something  in  her  which  he  could  not 
reach,  some  idealism  kept  intact  from  all  hurtful 
influence.  To  this  idealism  he  looked  up  wonder- 
ingly,  as  to  a  star:  distant,  unreachable,  but  clear 
shining  in  the  firmament  of  his  life.  And  when  he 
went  to  see  her  once  more,  after  the  lapse  of  many 
years,  he  had  again  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  light 
which  lit  up  her  spirit,  and  a  feeble  glimmer  in  his 
own  spirit  had  signaled  to  that  far-off  beacon  in 
reverent  recognition,  made  more  reverent  by  a 
better  knowledge  of  life  and  character. 

He  knew  that  he  had  to  thank  Nell  for  that 
faint  remaining  glimmer;  and  he  thanked  her  now, 
and  mingled  her  memory  with  other  beautiful  and 
purifying  thoughts,  the  snow  mountains  which  they 
had  both  loved  passionately,  the  Alpine  glow,  the 
glacier  rivers,  the  ice  cathedrals,  the  snow-laden 
pines,  the  spring  flowers.  How  often  in  the  past 
they  had  talked  of,  and  read  together  of  the  moun- 
tains ! 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     217 

The  mountains,  the  mountains.  He  was  seized 
with  an  intense  longing  for  them.  And  why 
shouldn't  he  go  to  them?  If  it  should  prove  that 
he  needed  a  change,  and  Alpenrose  continued  to 
recover,  why  shouldn't  he  go  to  his  own  little  fa- 
vorite mountain  village,  lovely  little  Wassen,  with 
its  church  perched  on  a  hill,  and  its  wild  and  lonely 
walks  leading  over  the  mountains  and  far  away? 
Tamar  had  said  that  he  ought  to  go  away.  Well, 
and  why  not  there  ?  No,  no,  of  course  he  must  not 
go  out  of  England.  He  must  be  within  reach  of 
Tamar.  She  would  want  to  consult  him,  to  refer 
things  to  him.  She  would  spare  him  all  she  could, 
but  it  would  be  necessary  for  her  to  see  him.  No, 
no,  of  course  he  must  not  leave  England. 

At  last  his  tired  brain  gave  out  and  he  fell  asleep 
and  dreamed,  not  of  Tamar,  nor  Nell,  nor  busi- 
ness, but  of  the  Alpine  glow  which  fired  the  trees 
with  a  golden  red  radiance  and  covered  the  snow- 
white  mountains  with  a  mantle  of  mystic  purple 
light.  He  must  have  dreamed  too  of  the  spring 
flowers,  for  more  than  once  he  murmured  some- 
thing about  "  the  first  little  soldanella" 

Meanwhile,  below,  in  the  drawing-room,  Nurse 
Elinor  was  receiving  James  Knebworth  Cecil,  who 
had  called  to  see  Adrian  Steele  on  urgent  busi- 
ness. 

"  Mr.   Steele  would  be  very  much  obliged  if 


2i 8     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

you'd  write,"  she  said.  "  We  have  very  grave  ill- 
ness in  the  house  —  the  little  daughter  —  we  have 
nearly  lost  her — from  meningitis." 

"  Of  course  I  would  not  think  of  asking  to  see 
Mr.  Steele  personally  in  these  circumstances,"  Cecil 
said.  "  I'll  be  off  at  once.  Thank  you,  nurse. 
Be  sure  and  express  my  regrets.  And  tell  Mr. 
Steele  that  I  will  write." 

He  hastened  off,  disappointed  at  the  failure  of 
his  visit,  but  genuinely  vexed  with  himself  for  hav- 
ing intruded  on  a  household  of  sorrow. 


CHAPTER  XII 

JOHN  NOBLE  arrived  at  Mrs.  Silberthwaite's 
office  one  morning  about  eleven  o'clock,  and 
was  received  by  the  little  Suffragette  clerk,  who 
was  greatly  concerned  to  have  to  tell  him  that  Mrs. 
Silberthwaite  was  out. 

"  Great  powers!  "  she  thought  to  herself,  "  sup- 
posing now  that  he  has  come  to  pay  in  another 
handsome  subscription  —  another  two  or  three 
hundred  pounds  —  perhaps  even  a  thousand? 
When  these  generous  people  once  begin,  one  may 
expect  anything.  If  he  departs,  his  enthusiasm 
may  depart  also.  He  must  not  be  allowed  to  go 
away.  I  must  detain  him  and  his  check-book. 
Right  sure  am  I  that  his  check-book  is  in  his  left 
pocket.  I  see  it  with  my  mind's  eye." 

Aloud  she  said,  in  her  bright  little  independent 
way: 

"  I  can't  be  quite  sure,  but  I  don't  think  Mrs. 
Silberthwaite  will  be  long.  Would  it  be  asking 
too  much  that  you  should  wait  a  little?  " 

"  No,  it  wouldn't,"  he  answered,  smiling  at  her. 
"  It  is  a  most  moderate  request.  Would  that 
every  one's  requests  could  be  of  that  temperate 
nature." 

219 


220     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Joan  Neville's  eyes  danced  with  inner  glee. 

"  Aha  !  "  she  said  to  herself.  "  He  little  knows 
that  with  my  mind's  eye  I  am  staring  at  his  check- 
book in  his  left  pocket." 

Aloud  she  said  demurely: 

"  I  will  get  some  of  our  literature  for  you  to_ 
glance  at.  We  have  just  printed  five  new  pamph- 
lets. If  you  will  excuse  me,  I  will  fetch  them." 

"  Heaven  forbid,"  he  said.  u  I  can't  read  any 
more  pamphlets  for  the  present.  If  I  do,  I  assure 
you,  something  serious  will  happen  to  my  brain." 

She  laughed  an  indulgent  little  laugh. 

"  Oh,  we  all  feel  like  that  at  first,"  she  said. 
"  It  soon  wears  off.  The  mind  gets  easily  accus- 
tomed to  pamphlets,  as  to  other  misfortunes." 

"  I  am  quite  willing  to  take  your  word,"  he  an- 
swered, much  amused  by  her.  "  Meantime  I  pre- 
fer to  talk  with  you,  if  you  can  spare  a  few  mo- 
ments from  all  that  severe-looking  correspondence. 
What  are  you  doing  just  at  the  present,  for  in- 
stance ?  I  like  to  know  about  people's  work." 

"  I  am  acknowledging  subscriptions  and  contri- 
butions," she  said  cheerily.  "  A  stimulating  task." 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  really  think  I  must  stimu- 
late you  still  further,"  Noble  said,  laughing. 
"  Suppose  I  hand  in  my  check  at  once,  instead  of 
waiting  for  Mrs.  Silberthwaite  to  receive  it.  I 
have  something  else  for  her." 

"  We  have  already  had  one  handsome  check 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     221 

from  you,"  Joan  Neville  remarked  innocently. 
"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  we're  going  to  have 
another  handsome  check?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  he  replied,  and  he  drew  his  check- 
book from  his  right-hand  pocket. 

"  Aha !  "  she  thought,  "  my  geography  was 
wrong,  but  my  instinct  was  unerring!  Well, 
geography  doesn't  matter  in  this  case !  " 

"  You  see,"  Noble  said,  as  he  took  the  pen 
which  she  offered  him,  "  the  pamphlets  which  have 
half  broken  my  brain,  have  also  half  broken  my 
heart." 

He  wrote  a  check  for  £250,  and  handed  it  to 
her.  Her  face  flushed  with  pleasure  and  pride. 
She  could  not  have  been  more  delighted  if  some 
tremendous  personal  benefit  had  been  conferred  on 
her. 

'  You  also  care  for  the  work  you  are  all  en- 
gaged on?  "  he  said. 

"  Of  course,"  she  answered  proudly.  "  Any 
one  would  care  who  worked  with  Mrs.  Silber- 
thwaite.  She  brings  out  all  the  best  of  one's  abil- 
ity and  enthusiasm." 

He  showed  her  by  a  nod  that  he  understood. 

"  And  I  have  always  been  interested  in  these 
subjects,"  she  said  a  little  shyly.  "  My  father 
trained  us  in  them." 

"  Why  haven't  I  been  interested  in  them?  "  he 
asked  regretfully. 


222     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Ah,  that's  more  than  I  can  tell  you,"  she  an- 
swered, and  she  was  proceeding  to  write  him  a  re- 
ceipt, when  a  woman  of  the  so-called  working  class 
came  into  the  office. 

"  Mrs.  Silberthwaite  is  not  here  yet,"  Joan  Ne- 
ville said,  nodding  at  her  in  a  friendly  way.  "  Per- 
haps you  will  wait  in  the  other  room,  will  you,  Mrs. 
Carton?  You'll  find  a  book  of  Paris  fashions 
there.  That  will  keep  you  quiet,  I  know !  " 

Mrs.  Carton,  who  had  a  bright,  good-tempered 
face,  laughed  and  said : 

"  Yes,  it  will,  Miss  Neville.  Dearly  do  I  love 
them  fashions.  Fairyland  ain't  in  it." 

"  Well,  you'll  find  the  very  latest,"  said  Joan 
Neville,  with  a  twinkle  in  her  eye.  '  The  very 
latest." 

When  Mrs.  Carton  had  left  the  room,  she 
turned  to  John  Noble  and  said : 

"  That  woman  is  a  sweated  worker  in  the  box 
trade.  If  she  works  about  fourteen  hours  a  day, 
she  can  earn  about  seven  shillings  a  week.  What 
do  you  think  of  that?  " 

"Why  did  you  send  her  away?"  he  asked. 
'  Why  can't  I  speak  to  her?  I  should  like  to 
speak  to  her.  If  I'm  to  help,  I  ought  to  begin  to 
learn  at  once.  In  fact,  I  have  already  learnt  a  les- 
son of  cheerfulness  from  her." 

"  It  seems  to  me  the  poor  nearly  always  are 
cheerful,"  Joan  Neville  answered.  "  Anyway  she 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     223 

always  is.  When  I  am  feeling  particularly  de- 
pressed, I  always  hope  Mrs.  Carton  will  come  into 
the  office.  Up,  up,  go  my  spirits  at  once  then, 
and  I'm  ready  for  anything.  I'll  fetch  her  back." 

She  rose  from  her  desk  in  a  leisurely  fashion 
and  passed  into  the  next  room. 

"  Mrs.  Carton,"  she  said,  "  if  you  can  spare  a 
few  minutes  from  the  Paris  fashions,  perhaps  you 
will  kindly  return.  The  gentleman  here  would 
like  to  be  introduced  to  you." 

"  Fancy  you  a-tearing  me  away  from  my  one 
and  only  pleasure,  Miss  Neville,"  Mrs.  Carton  re- 
marked cheerily.  "  Yours  is  a  cruel  heart,  and  no 
mistake.  This  is  a  good  number,  miss.  But  don't 
the  women  look  sillies,  poor  afflicted  things.  This 
poor  imbecile,  for  instance.  Well,  well." 

"  Come  along,"  urged  Joan  Neville.  "  This 
gentleman  is  a  writer  of  plays.  He  wants  to  talk 
with  you.  And  if  you're  not  careful,  he'll  put 
you  in  a  play,  Mrs.  Carton.  A  three-act  play,  per- 
haps." 

"  Well,  he  might  do  worse,  poor  creature,"  she 
replied,  following  Joan  Neville  into  the  outer  of- 
fice. 

John  Noble,  who  heard  her,  laughed,  got  up, 
held  out  his  hand,  and  said: 

'  Yes,  I  certainly  might  do  far,  far  worse !  And 
how  do  you  do,  madam  ?  " 

"  Nicely,   sir,   nicely,   considering   the  state   of 


224     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

trade,  which  isn't  no  state  at  all,"  she  answered. 
"  And  how  do  you  do,  sir?  " 

"  Well,  I  think  I  might  also  say  nicely,  consider- 
ing the  state  of  trade,"  he  replied,  and  they  both 
smiled,  and  entered  into  an  acquaintanceship  which 
was  full  of  interest  to  the  playwright  and  of  grati- 
fication to  the  sweated  worker.  For  Noble  drew 
her  out  in  a  surprising  fashion,  and  treated  her 
with  exactly  the  same  deference  which  he  would 
have  shown  to  one  of  the  fine  ladies  in  his  own 
plays.  And  as  he  learned  from  her  the  details  of 
her  day's  work,  and  recognized  for  himself  the  un- 
conscious courage  of  the  woman  and  her  entire 
freedom  from  bitterness  of  spirit,  his  wonder  grew 
apace,  and  with  it  his  respectful  admiration  and  his 
fixed  determination  to  work  for  the  Society. 

"Why  aren't  you  bitter?"  he  asked.  "It 
would  positively  relieve  my  own  feelings  of  shame 
if  you  were  angry  and  soured." 

"  Ah,  I'm  sorrv  I  can't  oblige  you,  sir,"  she  an- 
swered. "  You.  see,  all  we've  got  as  our  stock  in 
trade  is  our  good  spirits.  No  use  being  God's 
grizzlers.  We  leave  the  grizzling  to  the  high  and 
mighty.  They  can  have  it  all  to  themselves  and 
welcome,  poor  imbeciles." 

'  Yes,  yes,  you  are  right,"  he  said  earnestly. 
"  That's  the  right  word  —  imbeciles !  " 

So  earnest  and  interested  was  he,  that  he  did 
not  know  that  he  had  repeated  her  pronunciation 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     225 

of  the  word.  But  Joan  Neville  thought  it  sounded 
very  quaint  coming  from  the  lips  of  a  distinguished 
playwright,  and  looked  up  from  her  stimulating 
task  of  acknowledging  subscriptions  and  smiled. 

"  A  bad  thing  he  paid  his  handsome  subscription 
in  before  Mrs.  Carton  came  on  the  scene,"  she  re- 
flected. "  He  might  have  given  twice  the  amount 
now  he  has  seen  a  live  specimen  of  the  sweated 
class.  I  must  again  fix  my  mind's  eye  on  his  check- 
book and  wrest  a  few  more  hundreds  out  of  it. 
What  a  beast  I  am!  Beastly,  but  businesslike! 
But  that's  what  I'm  here  for:  to  promote  the  in- 
terests of  the  Society,  and  leap  upon  my  prey  like 
a  fearsome  tigress." 

Whilst  she  was  taken  up  with  these  fierce  and 
secret  designs,  John  Noble  continued  questioning 
Mrs.  Carton,  who  was  trying  to  explain  to  him 
how  isolated  a  class  the  sweated  workers  had  been 
for  years  and  for  years,  and  how,  in  fact,  they  had 
been  imprisoned  in  their  own  conditions. 

"  We  could  not  reach  out  to  nobody,"  she  said, 
"  for  there  wasn't  nobody." 

"  I  suppose  no  friends  from  the  outside  world 
ever  came  into  your  life  until  you  met  Mrs.  Sil- 
berthwaite?"  John  Noble  asked. 

"  One  friend  only,"  she  answered.  "  That  was 
years  ago.  It  was  him  who  brought  Mrs.  Silber- 
thwaite.  I  remember  him  well,  and  should  know 
him  anywhere." 


226     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Then  she  told  him  of  a  little  thin  man  who  had 
come  down  to  Bethnal  Green  and  Homerton  and 
sought  out  the  sweated  workers  —  the  box-makers, 
match-makers,  trouser-makers,  boot-makers,  and 
many  others  —  and  had  brought  comfort  and  kind- 
ness to  many  a  despondent  heart,  in  the  days,  too, 
when  it  was  not  usual  for  people  of  his  class  to  be 
interesting  themselves  actively  in  the  affairs  of  the 
poor.  They  never  knew  where  he  came  from,  and 
he  was  always  mysterious  and  formal,  but  wonder- 
fully faithful  in  carrying  out  all  he  said  he  would 
do  on  their  behalf.  And  for  years  he  had  paid 
the  rent  for  three  old  women  over  seventy-five 
years  of  age,  until  one  by  one  they  had  died;  and 
he  himself  had  had  them  buried  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, and  had  been  present  at  each  of  the  funer- 
als. 

"  Faithful  to  the  end  —  that's  what  he  was,"  she 
said.  "  The  old  box-maker  had  a  name  for  him, 
and  that's  what  we  all  called  him  by,  '  Mr.  Trust- 
worthy.' I  often  see  his  little  figure  before  me. 
Tiny  he  was,  and  thin.  And  he  wore  an  eye- 
glass with  a  piece  of  black  ribbon  about  half  an 
inch  thick." 

"  Did  you  say  he  brought  Mrs.  Silberthwaite?  " 
John  Noble  asked  pensively. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Mrs.  Carton.  "  He  took  her 
round  to  see  our  work  and  where  we  lived.  I  re- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     227 

member  what  he  said  when  they  came  to  the  old 
box-maker's  room.  She'd  been  ill,  and  I  was  there 
helping  the  old  soul." 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  "  Noble  asked.  "  I  should 
like  to  hear." 

Mrs.  Carton  colored  a  little  from  sudden  shy- 
ness, and  said: 

"  Perhaps  I  can't  give  it  quite  right,  but  I  think 
he  said,  '  Well,  and  what  do  you  think  of  our 
superb  England  now  ?  Have  we  any  right  to  set 
our  hearts  on  mountains  and  snowfields  until  we 
see  all  this  changed  ? '  I  never  forgot  it  because  it 
sounded  so  queer.  It  was  queer,  wasn't  it?  " 

Joan  Neville  tapped  her  forehead. 

"  Sounds  uncommonly  like  '  Looking  down  on 
snow-white  plains  of  mountain  mist  caught  in  pur- 
ple light,'  "  she  thought  to  herself. 

"  Well,  after  that,  we  never  saw  him  no  more," 
Mrs.  Carton  said.  "  Dead  himself,  I  expect." 

"  I  scarcely  think  so,"  Joan  Neville  remarked. 
"  A  little  gentleman  answering  to  that  description, 
and  undoubtedly  addicted  to  mountains  and  mists, 
called  in  here  the  other  day.  He  did  not  appear 
to  be  dead.  He  appeared  to  be  alive  —  and  mas- 
terful." 

"  All  the  better  for  the  world  if  he  isn't  dead," 
Mrs.  Carton  said  earnestly.  "  Wouldn't  I  just 
love  to  see  him  again  and  thank  him,  too !  And 


228     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

all  this  time  I've  been  thinking  him  dead  and 
gone." 

11  No,  he  isn't  dead,"  John  Noble  said.  "  You'll 
be  able  to  see  Mr.  Trustworthy  again  —  and  thank 
him." 

He  got  up,  and  stared  into  the  fire. 

"  Faithful  to  the  end,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  Then  why  could  he  not  have  been  faithful  to 
me?" 

For  a  moment  or  two  he  seemed  to  have  lost 
his  bearings  and  to  be  wandering  about  in  some 
distant  region  far  away  from  the  brave  sweated 
worker  and  the  cheery  little  secretary.  But  at  last 
he  found  his  path  back  again,  and  turned  to  Mrs. 
Carton  with  a  challenging  sort  of  mischievous- 
ness  : 

"  I  write  plays  about  the  high  and  mighty,"  he 
said,  "  about  the  people  you  call  God's  grizzlers, 
you  know.  I  wonder  whether  you  would  care  to 
come  and  see  one,  The  Abingdons.  I  could  at 
least  promise  you  the  very  latest  thing  in  Paris 
fashions." 

Her  eyes  beamed  with  delight  at  his  kindness, 
and  at  the  prospect  of  the  pleasure  he  offered  her. 

"  I'll  come,  grizzlers  or  no  grizzlers  !  "  she  said. 
"  And  I  don't  suppose  the  poor  imbeciles  are  near 
so  bad  in  a  play,  are  they?  " 

"  Perhaps  not,"  he  laughed.  "  They  have  to  be 
rounded  off  to  fit  the  picture.  Now  you  must  give 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     229 

me  your  address  and  I  shall  send  you  the  tickets, 
without  fail." 

To  the  surprise  both  of  himself  and  Joan  Ne- 
ville, Mrs.  Carton  turned  away  from  him,  covered 
her  face  with  her  hands,  and  left  the  room,  weep- 
ing silently. 

John  Noble  looked  at  Joan  Neville  question- 
ingly. 

"  It's  the  kindness  and  the  courtesy,"  the  little 
secretary  explained  gravely.  "  Misfortune  they 
can  bear." 

She  paused  a  moment  and  then  she  said 
cheerfully : 

"  There  is  Mrs.  Carton's  address.  And  I  am 
afraid  you  ought  to  have  these  leaflets  and  pamph- 
lets. This  one,  for  instance,  actually  deals  with 
her  trade.  '  Box-workers  and  Trade  Boards.'  I 
think  you  would  like  to  read  that,  wouldn't  you 
now?  And  this  one,  '  Report  of  a  Conference  on 
a  Minimum  Wage.'  And  this  one,  '  Home  Work 
and  Sweating.' ' 

"  You  seem  bent  on  my  destruction  by  pamph- 
lets," Noble  said. 

But  he  held  out  his  hand  for  them,  and  repeated 
her  words  unconsciously: 

"  Misfortune  they  can  bear.  Yes,  that  tells  its 
own  tale." 

Then  Nell  Silberthwaite  came  into  the  office. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

T  THINK  there  is  some  one  else  waiting  to  see 
•*•  you,"  John  Noble  said  as  he  followed  Nell 
into  her  private  room.  "  A  sweated  worker.  Her 
time  is  more  valuable  than  mine,  poor  woman.  I 
can  wait." 

"  Oh,  you  mean  Mrs.  Carton,"  Nell  said.  "  She 
was  coming  to-day  to  help  me  with  several  points 
in  one  of  my  lectures.  But  it  is  all  right  about  her 
time  to-day.  We  arranged  matters  with  her  so 
that  she  could  afford  to  take  a  day  off.  It's  a  holi- 
day for  her  too,  and  she  will  be  quite  happy  wait- 
ing. My  secretary  will  look  after  her." 

"  Well,  no  doubt  she  will  amuse  herself  with 
the  Paris  fashions,"  Noble  said.  "  Your  bright- 
eyed  little  secretary  seems  to  have  provided  her 
with  truly  acceptable  entertainment." 

Nell  laughed. 

"  My  little  secretary  generally  has  brilliant 
ideas  about  making  every  one  happy  and  con- 
tented," she  said.  "  I  don't  know  what  I  should 
do  without  her  in  the  office.  She's  so  capable  and 
cheerful." 

230 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     231 

"  Yes,  she  strikes  me  as  that,"  John  Noble  said, 
smiling. 

"  I  literally  kidnaped  her  from  the  Suffrage," 
Nell  said.  "  She  had  been  one  of  the  Suffragette 
organizers,  and  I  knew  her  temperament  and  train- 
ing would  be  splendid  for  our  work.  And  she 
herself  had  always  been  connected  with  the  Labor 
Movement.  Her  father  had  worked  for  it. 
Otherwise  I  could  not  have  persuaded  her  to  come 
to  me." 

"  I  seem  to  have  entered  unawares  into  a  new 
world,  Mrs.  Silberthwaite,"  Noble  said,  leaning 
back  in  his  chair,  "  and  at  a  moment,  too,  when  I 
have  needed  to  be  rescued  from  my  rut." 

His  eyes  wandered  to  the  mountain  picture,  and 
immediately  the  thought  of  Adrian  Steele  drove 
out  all  other  thoughts  from  his  brain. 

"  I  understand  that  it  was  Adrian  Steele  who 
first  took  you  to  the  sweated  workers,"  he  said. 
"  Mrs.  Carton  was  telling  me  that  he  had  been 
their  first  friend  from  the  outside  world,  and  that 
he  brought  you.  At  least,  I  concluded  it  was  he. 
It  could  have  been  no  one  else,  from  the  descrip- 
tion and  the  circumstances." 

"  Yes,"  Nell  answered.  "  It  was  he.  If  you 
remember,  I  told  you  that  he  first  showed  me  the 
path  which  I  should  tread.  I  owe  a  very  great 
deal  to  him,  Mr.  Noble.  I  wish  with  all  my  heart 


232     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

I  could  help  him  in  his  trouble.  I  know  he  is  in 
great  trouble." 

"  You  have  helped  him,"  John  Noble  said,  look- 
ing fixedly  on  the  ground. 

"I?     How?  "  Nell  asked  impulsively. 

"  By  reminding  me  of  what  I  also  owed  to  him," 
Noble  answered.  "  You  see  — " 

He  shook  his  head  and  broke  off;  but  seeing 
Nell's  anxious,  inquiring  expression  of  countenance, 
he  put  his  own  feelings  aside  and  tried  to  minister 
to  her  distress. 

"  You  see,  he  has  been  —  well,  there  is  no  other 
word  —  dishonorable  in  —  in  some  of  his  business 
dealings,"  Noble  said  gently.  "  I  am  one  of  those 
whom  he  has  —  disappointed.  But,  since  seeing 
you  the  other  day,  I  have  made  up  my  mind  irrev- 
ocably that  no  harm  shall  come  to  him  through 
any  word  or  act  of  mine.  One  less  to  pursue  him 
—  that's  all.  Still,  it  is  something.  And  such  as 
it  is,  he  owes  it  to  you." 

"  No,  no,  rather  to  your  mercifulness,"  Nell 
said,  deeply  touched. 

"  A  wounded  spirit  often  forgets  to  be  merciful, 
much  less  just,"  Noble  said,  with  a  sad  smile. 
"  That's  where  you've  come  in.  No,  it's  your  bit 
of  service,  and  you  cannot  disown  it." 

"  I  don't  want  to  disown  it,"  Nell  said.  "  You 
cannot  think  what  it  means  to  me  to  know  that  I 
too,  in  my  way,  may  have  helped  Adrian  Steele." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     233 

"  Why  should  we  care,  I  wonder?  "  Noble  said. 
"  You  care  evidently,  and  I  care.  Why  should  we 
care?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  Nell  answered,  with  bowed 
head.  "  I  never  have  known." 

"  That  sweated  worker,  Mrs.  Carton,  told  me 
that  he  had  been  a  true  friend  to  some  of  the 
poorest,  and  faithful  to  the  end,"  Noble  said. 
"  And  I  asked  myself  why  could  he  not  have  been 
faithful  to  me  to  the  end,  since  I  loved  and  trusted 
him.  Mr.  Trustworthy  they  called  him.  Trust- 
worthy. Why  could  he  not  have  been  trustworthy 
to  me  ?  I  can't  answer  my  own  question,  but  per- 
haps you  can,  Mrs.  Silberthwaite." 

"  I  can  only  tell  you  that  he  never  could  run 
straight,"  Nell  said  in  a  low  voice.  "  Even  in 
those  past  years  it  was  so  —  in  everything,  with- 
out rhyme  or  reason." 

John  Noble  nodded  his  head  silently,  and 
seemed  buried  in  saddest  thought.  Nell  saw  that 
he  was  suffering,  and  that  his  spirit  was  wounded. 
She  longed  to  be  able  to  say  something  which 
might  lessen  some  of  the  bitter  pain  through  which 
she,  too,  had  passed  in  her  own  time.  And  at  last 
she  took  courage. 

"  Mr.  Noble,"  she  said  very  gently,  "  I  should 
like,  both  for  his  sake  and  yours,  to  say  just  this 
one  thing  to  you.  It  may  sound  foolish  enough, 
but  from  all  I  know  of  Adrian  Steele's  nature,  it 


234     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

is  true.  It  does  not  follow  that  because  he  has 
deceived  you,  he  has  not  loved  you.  You  dare 
not  say  to  yourself :  '  This  man  has  deceived  me, 
and  therefore  he  has  not  loved  me.'  No;  you 
have  to  say  instead:  '  This  man  has  loved  me, 
and  yet  has  deceived  me.'  There  is  a  difference. 
There  might  be  balm  to  you  in  that  difference, 
or  there  might  not.  But  I  want  you  to  learn  direct 
from  me,  who  knew  him  intimately  for  several 
years,  that  the  secret  scheming  of  his  brain  was 
not  in  harmony  with,  but  always  at  war  with,  the 
disposition  of  his  heart." 

John  Noble  looked  up. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  there  might  be  balm  in  that 
thought.  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Silberthwaite." 

He  stretched  out  his  hand  to  her,  in  gratitude  for 
her  words,  and  she  took  it  in  silence. 

"  Believe  me,"  he  said,  "  I  will  do  all  I  can  to 
shield  him." 

"  I  know  you  will,"  she  answered. 

"  And  now  I  must  show  you  what  I  have  been 
trying  to  do  for  your  sweated  workers,"  he  said, 
with  a  smile  of  distinct  pride.  "  I've  sketched  out 
a  play,  and  I  want  to  ask  you  if  you  think  there 
is  anything  in  it.  It  is  based  on  what  I  learnt 
from  you  the  other  day  and  from  your  lecture. 
Of  course  I  am  only  making  a  dash  at  the  subject, 
as  I  know  so  little  of  it,  and  I'm  sure  I  have  heaps 
to  learn.  You  asked  me  to  present  a  picture. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     235 

Now  you  shall  tell  me  whether  this  is  a  picture  — 
an  impressionist  picture,  as  it  were.  If  it  isn't, 
then  I'll  work  at  it  until  I  have  made  it  one.  You 
must  listen  for  all  you're  worth,  and  pull  it  to 
pieces  as  much  as  you  like !  " 

Then  he  read  her  the  outlines  of  a  story  of  the 
tragedy  of  poverty.  It  was  called  simply  Pov- 
erty. He  had  touched  in  lights,  brought  out 
effects,  accentuated  values,  gauged  possibilities  in, 
a  way  possible  only  to  a  great  imaginative  artist, 
at  the  same  time  a  profound  student  of  human 
nature.  There  were,  of  course,  many  defects, 
the  result  of  his  inexperience  in  this  field,  but  he 
was  conscious  of  them,  and  desired  only  to  be  put 
right  in  his  mistakes  and  strengthened  on  his  weak 
points.  For,  as  he  laughingly  said,  up  to  this 
moment  his  attention  had  been  more  or  less 
directed  on  those  members  of  society  whom  Mrs. 
Carton  called  God's  grizzlers,  and  he  therefore 
had  to  learn  a  new  code,  a  new  outlook. 

He  was  boyishly  happy  over  this,  his  new  ven- 
ture, and  received  Nell's  remarks  with  an  eager- 
ness which  had  in  it  the  simplicity  of  a  true  great- 
ness. In  fact,  he  rushed  at  her  criticisms  with  an 
embracing  sort  of  welcome  which  spoke  volumes 
for  the  sincerity  of  his  service. 

He  had  been  there  nearly  two  hours  before  he 
rose  to  go.  He  arranged  another  interview  with 
Nell,  and  he  told  her  he  intended  meantime  to 


236     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

redraft  the  play  and  bring  it  to  her  for  stern  re- 
vision and  correction. 

"  You  remember  you  promised  to  help  me 
down  to  the  very  last  shred,"  he  said.  '  Those 
were  the  conditions." 

"Yes,"  she  laughed;  "we'll  all  help  you. 
And  I'll  take  you  down  to  see  some  of  the  workers 
in  their  own  homes.  Or,  better  still,  Mrs.  Car- 
ton will  go  with  you  to  visit  some  of  her  own 
friends.  Also,  we  are  getting  up  a  Sweated  In- 
dustries Exhibition  at  Edinburgh  next  month. 
That  would  help  you,  if  you  could  spare  the  time. 
You  would  learn  more  in  this  way  than  from  any- 
thing we  could  tell  you  here  in  the  office,  or  from 
any  pamphlets." 

"  Ah,  I'm  relieved  to  hear  you  say  that,"  he 
said.  "  And  I  hope  you  will  protect  me  from 
your  little  secretary,  who  has  attempted  to  com- 
pass my  life  with  pamphlets." 

They  laughed  and  passed  out  into  the  outer 
office,  where  they  found  Joan  Neville  smiling  at 
his  words,  which  she  had  heard  as  the  door 
opened.  Merrier  than  ever  looked  her  dancing 
eyes,  and  more  engaging  than  ever  her  bright 
personality.  John  Noble  made  a  secret  resolution 
that  he  would  not  allow  this  unexpected  bit  of 
sunshine  to  fade  out  of  his  life. 

"  I've  put  myself  under  special  protection,"  he 
said.  "  No  more  pamphlets  for  me  —  unless  I 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     237 

take  this  one  about  the  Edinburgh  Exhibition. 
Yes,  perhaps  I'd  better  have  it." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't  spare  that  one,"  Joan  Ne- 
ville remarked  severely.  "  That's  just  the  one 
I  can't  spare.  I'm  sorry." 

But  he  defied  her  and  put  it  in  his  pocket. 

"  Good-by,"  he  said.  "  And  what  has  hap- 
pened to  my  other  friend?  Is  she  still  studying 
the  Paris  fashions?" 

"  No,"  Joan  Neville  answered.  "  She  got 
tired  of  them,  and  went  out  to  distribute  some 
pamphlets.  She  does  not  dislike  pamphlets. 
She  says  they  are  perfectly  harmless  things,  and 
that  no  one  need  read  them." 

"  Ah,  that's  true  enough,"  he  said,  with  mock 
gravity.  "  I  had  not  thought  of  that.  She's  a 
wise  woman,  that.  You  see,  being  a  writer  my- 
self, I  have  cherished  the  absurd  tradition  that 
people  do  read  what  is  written.  But  perhaps  they 
don't,  after  all." 

He  left  them  with  that,  and  Nell  learnt  of  the 
second  check  for  £250,  and  Joan  Neville  was  told 
the  exciting  news  of  the  play  Poverty  which  he 
had  begun  to  write  for  them.  They  were  full  of 
his  kindness,  his  generosity,  his  enthusiasm,  and 
of  the  immense  influence  of  his  name  and  active 
cooperation,  and  they  agreed  that  this  had  been 
a  red-letter  day  in  the  annals  of  the  Society. 

"  Next  time  he  conies,  I  hope  he  will  write  a 


238     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

check  for  £500,"  thought  Joan.  "  I  shall  be 
seriously  annoyed  with  him  if  he  doesn't.  If  he 
doesn't,  I  shall  look  out  all  the  dullest  pamphlets 
for  him,  and  they  will  frighten  him  so  much  that 
he'll  be  thankful  to  come  to  terms  immediately. 
Alas!  how  grasping  I  am  becoming.  And  at  my 
age,  too !  It's  positively  shocking.  Well,  at 
least  it's  impersonal.  That's  all  you  can  say." 

But  Nell,  alone  in  her  room,  could  not  say  that 
she  was  feeling  impersonal.  She  stood  in  front 
of  the  mountain  picture,  and,  even  in  the  midst  of 
her  delight  over  John  Noble's  splendid  helpful- 
ness to  her  work,  remembered  chiefly  that  he  had 
promised  that  no  harm  should  come  to  Adrian 
Steele  through  any  word  or  deed  of  his.  This 
at  least  would  be  something  definite  and  satisfac- 
tory to  tell  Tamar,  and  Nell  at  once  became 
buoyed  up  with  triumph  to  think  that  she  it  was, 
and  not  Tamar,  who  had  been  able  to  avert  some 
of  the  danger  threatening  Adrian  Steele.  Yes,  it 
was  she,  and  not  Tamar.  But,  instantly  ashamed 
of  her  mean-spiritedness,  she  reminded  herself 
sternly  that  Tamar  and  she  had  agreed  to  be 
collaborators  and  not  rivals,  and  that  what  they 
both  had  to  do,  was  to  place  their  separate  oppor- 
tunities of  service  side  by  side,  without  distinction 
or  claim. 

"  All  the  same,"  she  said,  suddenly  rebelling 
against  this  virtuous  code,  "  I  am  glad  it  was 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    239 

myself  and  not  Tamar.  One  can't  help  being 
mean-spirited.  And  I  don't  care  if  I  am.  I've 
never  been  able  to  drive  Adrian  out  of  my  heart. 
And  never  shall.  Nothing  has  banished  him. 
Neither  my  marriage,  nor  my  work,  nor  anything. 
And  it's  all  a  pretense  to  say  that  we  leave  the 
past  behind  us.  We  carry  it  with  us,  burden  or 
no  burden.  We  don't  leave  it  behind  us.  No, 
I've  never  been  able  to  get  him  out  of  my  heart. 
And  I  never  shall." 

She  paced  up  and  down  the  room,  leaving  her 
box-makers  and  her  chain-makers,  and  the  whole 
procession  of  sweated  workers,  to  fend  for  them- 
selves. She  was  unable  to  keep  her  thoughts 
from  Adrian  Steele.  She  thought  of  his  little 
masterful  presence,  his  stubborn  personality,  his 
charm,  his  deceitfulness,  his  passion  for  power, 
his  ruthless  abandonment  of  all  who  ceased  to 
serve  his  purpose,  his  mental  tyranny,  his  curious 
code  of  self-justification,  his  wonderful  gift  of  up- 
lifting, stimulating,  his  reckless  expenditure  of 
energy  and  strength  over  his  work,  his  large  grasp 
of  affairs,  his  patient  attention  to  details,  all  that 
was  great  in  him,  all  that  was  small  in  him,  and 
all  that  was  unforgetably  lovable  in  him  —  that 
mysterious  something  in  him  which  tugged  at  the 
heart-strings  of  herself  and  Tamar,  even  after  all 
these  long  years  —  yes,  and  at  the  heart-strings  of 
John  Noble  too,  and  of  Mrs.  Carton  and  of  every 


240     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

one  to  whom  he  had  meant  something  of  love, 
of  friendship,  of  comradeship,  of  kindness. 

She  had  told  him,  when  he  came  to  ask  for  her 
forgiveness,  that  she  had  forgiven  him  years  ago ; 
but  the  moment  of  her  true  forgiveness  had  not 
been  when  she  had  passed  on  and  recovered  her- 
self, but  now  when  she  passed  back,  lived  over 
again  those  days  of  love,  disappointment,  and 
humiliation,  realized  that  she  had  never  recovered 
herself,  and  yet  could  hold  out  her  hands  in 
yearning  and  tender  protectiveness.  If  Adrian 
Steele  could  only  have  known  it,  this  was  the  mo- 
ment when  the  white  snows  of  forgiveness  fell 
upon  the  mountains  and  transfigured,  as  though 
by  magic,  the  sharpened,  forbidding  peaks. 

Whilst  she  was  still  held  by  these  thoughts,  the 
door  was  opened  gently,  and  Joan  Neville  ap- 
peared, her  face  rather  flushed,  and  a  gleam  of 
danger  in  her  bright  eye. 

"  I  did  knock  several  times,  Mrs.  Silber- 
thwaite,"  she  said.  "  Please  forgive  me  for  dis- 
turbing you,  but  a  woman  —  well  —  a  —  a  sort 
of  rude  tigress  —  that's  all  I  can  call  her  —  in- 
sists on  seeing  you.  I  asked  her  to  state  her  busi- 
ness, and  she  answered  most  insolently  that  it  was 
her  affair,  not  mine.  She  refused  to  give  her 
name,  and  she  had  not  a  card.  She  isn't  human 
in  her  manner.  The  rudest  person  I've  ever  seen 
in  my  life.  When  I  asked  her  if  she  wished  to 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     241 

pay  in  a  subscription  to  the  Society,  she  abused 
our  work  in  the  most  insulting  terms." 

"  Show  her  in,"  Nell  said.  "  I  think  I  know 
who  she  is." 

Tamar  was  immediately  shown  in  by  Joan 
Neville,  who  was  still  dancing  from  suppressed 
rage,  and  murmured  to  herself  as  she  closed  the 
door: 

"  Another  moment,  my  own  treasure,  and  I 
should  have  strangled  you.  Beware." 

Nell  had  placed  a  chair  for  Tamar  near  the  fire. 

"  You  look  cold,  Tamar,"  she  said.  "  Do  sit 
down  and  warm  yourself." 

"  So  these  are  your  premises,"  Tamar  re- 
marked, glancing  around  in  a  detached  soft  of 
way. 

Nell  put  some  coals  on,  and  stirred  the  fire. 

"  And  here  you  conduct  this  absurd  public 
service  work  of  yours,"  Tamar  said.  "  Anti- 
sweating  indeed.  Why  shouldn't  people  sweat  if 
they  want  to?  " 

"  But  they  don't  want  to,"  Nell  said  indul- 
gently. "  That's  the  point,  Tamar." 

;'  Well,  you  know  what  I  think  of  it,"  Tamar 
said  grimly.  "  It's  ridiculous  waste  of  time.  If 
you  try  to  do  anything  for  anybody,  you  only  get 
kicks.  Senseless  waste  of  time.  I've  no  patience 
with  it." 

"  We   all  waste   our  time   in   some   form   or 


242     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

other,"  Nell  said  good-temperedly.  "  It's  just  a 
matter  of  personal  choice,  you  know,  Tamar. 
Make  an  effort  not  to  be  hard  on  me." 

"  And  that  absurd  little  clerk  of  yours  imagined 
that  I  had  called  in  to  pay  a  subscription,"  Tamar 
said.  "  I  should  like  to  see  myself  paying  in  a 
subscription  here." 

"  So  should  I,"  Nell  remarked  with  fervor. 
"  Uncommonly  I  should  like  to  see  it." 

Tamar  laughed,  with  a  soft  little  laugh  which 
betokened  amusement,  for  she  never  resented  a 
shaft  directed  against  herself. 

"  Your  absurd  little  clerk  offered  me  a  pamphlet 
on  *  The  Minimum  Wage,'  "  she  said.  "  I  told 
her  that  no  wages  I  ever  paid  could  be  minimum 
enough  for  me ;  and  I  gave  her  a  bit  of  my  mind 
about  the  work  of  societies  like  this." 

''  Well,  we  shan't  actually  die  of  despair  be- 
cause you  don't  approve  of  us,  Tamar,"  Nell  said 
cheerfully.  "  And  as  for  the  work  itself,  quite 
apart  from  the  aim  and  object  of  it,  it  has  been 
the  greatest  help  to  me  in  my  life.  It  has  been 
to  me  what  your  book  on  precious  stones  has 
been  to  you." 

"  If  it  has  been  to  you  what  my  book  has  been 
to  me,  then  all  I  can  say  is  that  it  has  been  a 
failure,"  Tamar  remarked.  '  Yes,  a  failure.  I 
thought  I  had  passed  on  with  that  book.  I 
haven't." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     243 

"  I  too  thought  I  had  passed  on,"  Nell  said. 
"  I  threw  myself  more  and  more  into  this  work 
you  despise  and — " 

"  And  you  married,"  Tamar  reminded  her 
roughly. 

"  Yes,  I  married,"  Nell  said,  "  a  noble-hearted 
man  with  a  fine  sympathy  to  match  his  fine  in- 
tellect." 

"  I  could  have  married,"  Tamar  said.  "  But 
I  waited.  I  waited  alone  in  that  inner  room." 

A  secret  joy  lit  up  her  face  as  she  spoke,  and 
Nell  gazed  at  her  in  astonishment. 

"  You  waited,"  Nell  repeated  slowly.  "  What 
do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  mean  what  I  say,"  Tamar  answered.  "  I 
waited  —  for  Adrian  Steele.  And  he  came." 

"  But  you  repulsed  him,"  Nell  said.  "  I  was 
there  when  you  repulsed  him." 

"  That  may  be,"  Tamar  replied.  "  But  he 
came  again.  He  knew  he  could  come." 

Then  in  a  few  words  she  gave  Nell  a  bare  but 
honest  account  of  Adrian's  visit  to  her.  She  de- 
scribed how  he  brought  all  his  papers  and  ac- 
counts, and  how,  after  a  great  struggle  with 
himself,  he  had  explained  to  her  his  business 
complications  and  asked  her  help  and  advice. 
She  said  quite  frankly  that  she  did  not  think  he 
would  have  confided  in  her  or  any  one  except  for 
his  broken-down  mental  condition,  which  was  the 


244    OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

result  of  his  terrible  anxiety  over  his  little  daugh- 
ter's sudden  and  nearly  fatal  illness.  She  did  not 
dwell  on  her  reawakened  love  for  him.  She  did 
not  speak  of  the  long  night  watch  in  the  inner 
room.  She  was  silent  about  his  words  of  regret, 
of  longing,  of  trust,  of  love.  She  kept  back  all 
the  details  of  those  happy  hours,  the  memory  of 
which  had  become  precious  and  sacred  to  her  for 
evermore.  But  it  was  clear  enough  from  her 
manner,  the  tone  of  her  voice,  and  the  strangely 
softened  expression  on  her  countenance,  that  the 
Tamar  who  had  stubbornly  refused  a  few  days 
ago  to  take  up  the  threads  of  the  past,  was  now 
caught  and  held  by  the  iron  bonds  of  an  old,  deep, 
and  passionate  love. 

Nell  listened,  and  a  tempest  of  despairing 
jealousy  broke  loose  in  her. 

"  Tamar,  Tamar,"  she  cried  in  her  bitter 
anguish,  "  I  can't  help  myself  —  I'm  deadly, 
deadly  jealous  of  you." 

Tamar  said  roughly: 

"  You've  had  other  things.  What  do  you 
want  with  this  thing?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know  I've  had  other  things,"  Nell 
returned.  "  You  needn't  remind  me  of  that  now. 
But  other  things  aren't  this  thing.  Ah,  why 
didn't  he  come  to  me  with  his  difficulties  —  you 
took  him  from  me  before  —  and  now  you've 
taken  him  from  me  again." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     245 

"  It  was  his  doing,  and  not  mine,"  Tamar  said 
in  a  low  voice;  "  his  free  will,  his  own  choice." 

"Don't  you  see  that  makes  it  worse?"  Nell 
cried,  "  and  that  I  can't  even  hate  you  for  it  —  I 
haven't  even  that  comfort — I  who  would  have 
done  anything  for  him  —  anything  —  in  his  hour 
of  need  —  in  — " 

She  leaned  forward  over  her  desk,  and  her  head 
sank  lower  and  lower  until  it  rested  on  her  out- 
spread arms.  She  sobbed  in  an  abandonment  of 
grief. 

Tamar  watched  Nell  for  a  long  time  in  silence. 
She  was  trying  to  persuade  herself  that  the  matter 
did  not  concern  her.  But  apparently  she  was  not 
successful,  for  she  rose  at  length  and  touched  her 
on  the  shoulder.  There  was  no  response.  She 
touched  Nell  again. 

"  Look  here,  Nell  Silberthwaite,"  she  said, 
"  I'm  going  to  tell  you  something  I  rather  hate 
telling  you.  You  have  done  something  big  for 
him,  and  something  definite.  Something  far  big- 
ger than  I've  done,  and  I  envy  you  for  it.  That 
playwright  man,  Noble,  is  evidently  going  to  stand 
by  Adrian  Steele;  and  considering  that  he  has  been 
cheated  out  of  at  least  £15,000,  his  forbearance 
is  remarkable.  He  has  written  to  Adrian  to  say 
that  he  is  placing  his  new  play  as  usual  in  Adrian's 
hands.  Now  this  is  through  you,  I'm  sure  — 
your  bit  of  valuable  help.  You've  choked  off  one 


246     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

of  the  worst  dangers,  by  honest  and  straight- 
forward means,  and  I  tell  you  I  envy  you  the 
opportunity  you've  had,  and  your  use  of  it. 
When  I  think  of  my  underhand  methods  with  that 
blusterer  Hailsham,  I  —  well,  I  don't  stand  well 
with  myself  in  comparison.  You've  a  right  to 
take  comfort.  Don't  go  on  grieving  in  that  inane 
fashion.  You'll  make  yourself  ill.  If  we  are 
going  to  save  him  at  all,  we  shall  need  all  our 
wits,  for  I  assure  you  his  own  brain  has  lost  its 
old  resourcefulness.  He's  ill,  worn  out.  Come 
now  —  that's  right  —  gather  yourself  together 
like  a  sensible  woman  doing  so-called  useful  public 
service  work.  I  don't  mind  owning  that  perhaps 
I've  been  rather  disagreeable  about  your  work. 
Perhaps  it  does  do  some  good.  And  certainly 
it  has  been  of  use  on  this  occasion,  since  it 
brought  you  in  contact  with  Noble.  I  think  you 
must  have  pleaded  for  Adrian  with  what  he'd  call 
'  superb  ability.'  Yes,  I  repeat  it,  superb  ability.. 
A  man  does  not  readily  give  up  his  chance  of 
recovering  £15,000,  if  I  know  anything  of  busi- 
ness. You  ought  to  be  proud  of  yourself,  I  tell 
you." 

The  rough  comfort  brusquely  administered, 
together  with  Tamar's  frank  acknowledgment  of 
Nell's  help,  had  the  effect  of  restoring  Nell  to 
something  approximating  to  self-control.  She 
raised  her  head,  passed  her  hand  over  her  eyes, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     247 

and  with  obvious  effort  kept  back  the  sobs  which 
had  been  tearing  her. 

"  Thank  you,  Tamar,"  she  said,  when  she  had 
regained  sufficient  command  over  herself  for 
speech.  "  You  are  at  least  generous  in  your 
triumph.  Please  excuse  my  —  my  weakness." 

Tamar  waved  her  hand,  in  indulgent  dismissal 
of  Nell's  outbreak,  and  said  kindly  enough : 

"  It  was  only  fair  to  tell  you.  If  Adrian  had 
been  more  easy  to  handle,  I  should  have  let  him 
know  to  whom  he  owed  Noble's  mercifulness. 
As  it  is,  he  believes,  or  pretends  to  believe,  that 
Noble  is  not  on  the  scent." 

"  Let  him  believe  it,"  Nell  said.  "  It  will  ap- 
pear so.  John  Noble  has  been  here  to-day,  and 
he  promised  of  his  own  accord  that  no  word  or 
deed  of  his  should  embarrass  Adrian  in  his  dif- 
ficulties. '  One  less  to  pursue  him '  he  said. 
Those  were  his  words." 

"  So  you  knew  already  that  John  Noble  was 
going  to  spare  him,"  Tamar  said  sullenly.  "  I 
need  not  have  troubled  to  tell  you." 

"  I  think  it  was  most  generous  of  you  to  tell 
me,  Tamar,"  Nell  said  warmly.  "  It  makes  all 
the  difference  to  me  to  hear  it  from  you." 

Tamar's  face  softened.  She  was  pleased  with 
Nell's  appreciation. 

"  One  less  to  pursue  him,"  she  said  after  a 
pause.  "  Yes,  that's  the  whole  trouble.  There 


248     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

are  so  many  of  them.  He  has  been  cheating 
people  right  and  left  for  years.  I  don't  feel  at 
all  sure  that  his  honor  can  be  patched  up  even  by 
Noble's  mercifulness,  or  even  by  a  wise  expendi- 
ture of  money.  I  think  in  some  cases  we  can 
cover  up  tracks  altogether,  and  in  others  we  may 
be  able  to  make  it  worth  while  for  the  authors  to 
refrain  from  proceedings.  But  that  man  Hail- 
sham,  for  instance.  He  has  only  about  two 
thousand  pounds  at  stake,  but  he  is  bent  on  per- 
sonal vengeance.  I  don't  believe  any  sum  would 
buy  him  off.  And  he's  the  leader  of  the  band." 

"  Have  you  tried  to  buy  his  silence?  "  Nell  said 
slowly,  as  she  spoke  pondering  the  matter. 

"  No,"  Tamar  answered.  "  I  intend  to.  But 
so  far  I've  only  attempted  to  form  a  general  vague 
plan  of  how  to  cover  up  the  more  recent  frauds." 

"  Well,  I  will  gladly  find  the  money  to  start  off 
with  Hailsham,"  Nell  said. 

She  was  amazed  and  almost  frightened  at  the 
effect  which  her  words  produced,  for  Tamar's  face 
flushed  with  anger,  and  her  eyes  shone  with  a 
sudden  dangerous  gleam. 

"  The  money  is  my  affair,"  she  said  fiercely. 
"  If  money  has  to  be  given,  no  one  shall  give  it 
except  me.  I  shall  sell  out  some  of  my  invest- 
ments. If  necessary,  I  shall  sell  my  jewels,  my 
choicest  pearls,  and  my  rubies." 

Nell  held  her  breath  with  astonishment. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     249 

"  How  you  must  love  him !  "  she  said  in- 
voluntarily. 

'  You  think  that  proves  it,"  Tamar  said, 
glancing  at  Nell  half  defiantly,  half  proudly. 

'  Yes,  Tamar,"  Nell  answered.  "  You  have 
never  been  famous  for  wanting  to  part  with  your 
money,  have  you?" 

"No,"  Tamar  said.  "You're  right.  My 
fame  has  not  been  in  that  direction." 

The  thought  evidently  amused  her,  for  she 
continued: 

"  I  daresay  you  remember  the  remarks  Adrian 
Steele  used  to  make  on  that  subject." 

"  Yes,  I  remember  well,"  Nell  said,  smiling  in 
spite  of  herself  at  Tamar's  naivete.  "  He  would 
be  astonished  if  he  knew.  But  he  would  also  be 
stimulated,  because  — " 

She  paused. 

"  Well?  "  Tamar  put  in.  "  You  can  say  what 
you  like.  I  don't  care." 

"  Because  —  well,   for  the  simple   reason  that 

—  knowing    you    to    be  —  well  —  cautious    with 
your  money,  he  would  be  encouraged  to  think  you 

—  believed   in  the  venture,"   Nell   said,   a   little 
hesitatingly. 

"  Yes,  and  that  is  exactly  why  I  shall  risk  the 
money,"  Tamar  retorted.  "  In  fact,  I've  told 
him  I'll  risk  three  or  four  thousand  pounds  at  a 
charge  on  him  of  six  per  cent.  I  made  a  point  of 


250     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

the  percentage.  That  made  him  believe  at  once 
that  I  saw  good  business  in  it." 

She  got  up  suddenly  and  turned  her  back  on 
Nell. 

"  Tamar,"  Nell  said  gently,  "  I  think  you  are 
—  splendid." 

"  Nonsense,"  Tamar  said  gruffly,  without  turn- 
ing round.  "  I'm  what  you  are  —  a  fool. 
Fools,  both  of  us.  I've  said  it  all  along,  and  I 
say  it  even  now,  although  I  wouldn't  change  my 
folly  for  any  one  else's  wisdom.  Where  do  we 
come  in,  really?  Nowhere  in  the  scheme  of 
things.  There's  his  wife.  And  this  child  of  his 
with  the  absurd  name,  Alpenrose.  Why  do  we 
care?  He  isn't  yours,  he  isn't  really  mine,  he's 
theirs.  That's  the  simple  truth,  if  we  had  any 
sense.  But  we  haven't.  All  the  same,  we've  got 
to  save  him,  if  we  can.  And  his  courage  must 
be  kept  up  somehow.  Otherwise  he'll — " 

She  broke  off  and  shuddered.  Nell,  sitting  at 
her  desk,  shuddered  too.  The  same  fear  dom- 
inated them  both. 

"  Listen,  Tamar,"  Nell  said,  after  a  painful 
silence:  "  if  you  will  not  let  any  of  my  money  be 
used,  you  will  at  least  tell  me  what  I  can  do  in 
other  ways.  Since  it  was  to  you  that  Adrian  came 
for  advice  and  help,  I  have  no  right  to  force  my- 
self into  your  councils,  but  you  must  not  leave 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     251 

me  out  in  the  cold.  It  hurts  my  pride  fearfully 
to  have  to  ask  this  favor  of  you.  But  it  would 
break  me  up  to  know  nothing  and  do  nothing." 

Tamar  at  last  turned  round.  Her  face  was 
pale.  There  was  no  anger  in  her  eyes  now. 

"  You  don't  suppose  I'm  such  a  duffer  as  to 
want  to  dispense  with  your  help,"  she  said. 
"  You've  done  the  biggest  thing  yet,  as  I  told  you, 
and  you've  put  your  finger  on  the  right  nail  about 
that  Hailsham  man.  I'll  try  and  explain  the 
whole  matter  to  you,  but  I  warn  you  that  you've 
got  to  be  ready  to  swallow  an  enormous  dose  of 
dishonorableness.  Adrian  probably  believed  that 
I  could  swallow  it  without  —  well  —  without 
much  difficulty.  He  would  not  have  thought  that 
of  you.  He  always  put  you  on  a  higher  plane. 
Perhaps  that  will  be  some  comfort  to  you." 

Nell  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  it  isn't  any  comfort,  Tamar,"  she  said 
simply.  "  Codes  count  for  nothing  when  one's 
heart  is  torn." 

Some  remark  rose  to  Tamar's  lips,  but  she 
checked  it,  and  at  once  began  giving  Nell  the  out- 
lines of  the  situation  in  which  Adrian  Steele  stood. 
She  impressed  on  Nell  that  in  his  present  mental 
condition  he  was  of  no  use  to  himself  or  them, 
that  they  must  think  and  plan  for  him,  and  that 
the  safest  thing  was  to  get  him  away  out  of  every 


252     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

one's  reach  until  the  crisis  was  tided  over,  or  the 
crash  came.  She  advised  Nell  to  see  John  Noble 
again  as  soon  as  possible  and  urge  him  to  use  his 
influence  with  some  of  the  others,  Sanford  or 
Cecil,  for  instance,  and  so  prevent  them  from  tak- 
ing action  —  at  any  rate  for  the  present.  She 
herself  would  make  an  immediate  attempt  to 
silence  Hailsham.  She  said  she  believed  there 
might  be  some  bare  chance  of  dealing  with  the 
difficulties;  but  what  she  most  feared,  was  fresh 
revelations  from  unexpected  quarters,  which  would 
nullify  all  their  efforts,  and  precipitate  the  crisis. 

Nell  was  deeply  shocked  and  stirred  by  the  his- 
tory of  Adrian  Steele's  dishonorableness. 

"  How  could  he  do  it  —  how  could  he  do  it!  " 
she  kept  on  saying,  shaking  her  head  sorrow- 
fully. 

It  was  curious  to  note  the  difference  between 
these  two  women  who  both  loved  Adrian  Steele 
and  were  trying  to  save  him.  Tamar  was  frankly 
fascinated  and  even  stimulated  by  the  temptations 
to  which  he  had  succumbed,  whilst  Nell  was  horri- 
fied by  them  and  endured  untold  miseries  in  hear- 
ing of  them.  Her  very  suffering  was  a  proof  of 
Adrian's  wisdom  in  having  made  a  choice  of 
Tamar  for  his  counselor  and  director.  Yet  even 
Tamar  herself  shied  once,  and  gave  utterance  to 
a  curious  remark  which  completely  mystified  Nell. 
She  said: 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     253 

"  I  must  pay  out  conscience  money  for  him. 
Something  towards  the  boarding  of  the  pews." 

"What  did  you  say?"  Nell  asked  in  amaze- 
ment. "  Something  about  pews?  " 

"  Nothing,  nothing,"  Tamar  replied  crossly, 
and  passed  on  quickly  to  further  important  details 
which  at  once  engaged  Nell's  attention  and  de- 
manded from  her  the  utmost  limit  of  her  moral 
forbearance.  She  fought  most  bravely  with  her 
outraged  feelings,  and  tried  hard  to  take  a  purely 
business  view  of  the  whole  set  of  circumstances. 
Tamar,  who  knew  that  she  was  suffering,  could 
not  help  admiring  Nell's  dogged  attempt  to  blot 
out  everything  from  her  mind  except  Adrian's  wel- 
fare. 

"  She  too  loves  him,"  she  thought  jealously. 
"  She  is  doing  battle  with  all  her  moral  codes  for 
his  sake.  That's  the  biggest  sacrifice  a  person  of 
her  nature  could  make  for  any  one." 

In  the  midst  of  her  attack  of  jealousy  the  door 
opened,  and  Joan  Nevitle  came  into  the  room, 
bringing  a  letter  which  she  put  into  Nell's  hands, 
at  the  same  time  casting  an  indignant  glance  at 
her  enemy. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  disturb  you,  Mrs.  Silberthwaite," 
she  said.  "  But  I've  knocked  several  times,  and 
the  letter  is  marked  '  Urgent.' ' 

The  letter  was  from  John  Noble.  It  ran 
thus : — 


254    OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  I  have  just  seen  enclosed  paragraph.  I  want 
you  to  know  that  I  am  at  once  denying  it  and  hav- 
ing a  paragraph  put  in  all  the  papers  stating  that 
my  new  play  is  in  his  hands.  But  this  is  the  sort 
of  thing  that  may  frustrate  the  efforts  of  all  those 
who  would  wish  to  screen  him." 

This  was  the  paragraph:  — 

"  It  is  rumored  in  dramatic  circles  that  Mr. 
John  Noble,  whose  affairs  have  always  been  man- 
aged by  Mr.  Adrian  Steele,  has  now  made  a 
change  in  his  business  agent." 

Nell  handed  the  letter  and  paragraph  to  Tamar, 
and  they  looked  at  each  other  with  strained  faces, 
and  in  silence. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

T  TAILSHAM  had  for  some  time  been  actively 

•*•  engaged  in  investigating  his  affairs  and  mas- 
tering the  details  of  the  frauds  which  had  been 
perpetrated  on  him  by  Adrian  Steele.  Much  to 
his  astonishment,  John  Noble,  although  obliged  to 
admit  that  he  too  had  been  defrauded  of  large 
sums,  rigidly  refused  to  take  any  steps  to  recover 
his  money. 

He  had  all  along  been  most  reluctant  to  be- 
lieve any  of  Hailsham's  allegations  against  Steele's 
honorableness,  and  he  consented  finally  to  examine 
his  returns,  rather  for  the  sake  of  vindicating 
Steele's  name,  than  of  satisfying  any  uneasy  doubts 
of  his  own.  His  discoveries  had  shocked  and 
wounded  him  beyond  all  telling,  and  in  the  first 
moments  of  his  bitter  disillusionment,  he  might 
possibly  have  been  persuaded  to  prosecute  the 
friend  who  had  betrayed  him,  but  for  his  inter- 
view with  Nell  Silberthwaite.  After  that  morn- 
ing, Noble  remained  immovable  in  his  determina- 
tion to  shield  Steele  as  far  as  he  could. 

But  there  were  several  others  who  were  willing 
to  follow  Hailsham's  lead,  and  who  were  quietly 

255 


256     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

furnishing  themselves  with  the  necessary  substan- 
tiation of  their  suspicions.  It  took  some  time, 
of  course,  to  collect  facts  and  the  corroboration 
of  those  facts,  and  Hailsham  himself  was  waiting 
for  further  advices  from  America  and  Australia, 
when  he  would  have  his  case  complete,  and  then 
could  bring  an  action  against  Steele  which  would 
mean  a  full  disclosure  of  Steele's  methods  and 
practices.  Hailsham  was  fiercely  determined  that 
his  former  business  manager  should  be  shown  up. 

He  was  vindictive  by  nature,  and  it  was  nothing 
to  him  that  his  position  had  been  made  for  him  by 
Steele's  unerring  judgment  and  untiring  vigilance 
on  his  behalf.  He  only  saw  that  he  had  been 
disgracefully  cheated.  At  the  back  of  his  brain  he 
knew,  too,  that,  intellectually,  Steele  had  always 
despised  him,  and  had  laughed  secretly  at  his  gal- 
lery gifts.  Hailsham  hated  him  for  that  quiet 
but  supercilious  contempt,  and  was  in  consequence 
doubly  bent  on  vengeance  and  the  recovery  of  his 
money.  This  very  morning  as  he  was  studying 
the  returns  of  one  of  his  earlier  plays,  The  Win- 
ning Number,  he  recalled  the  comment  which 
Adrian  Steele  had  made  on  it,  and  saw  the  thin 
lips  curling  into  an  almost  imperceptible  sneer. 

"  Yes,"  Steele  said,  "  there  is  money  in  this 
play  —  much  money.  Not  too  much  matter. 
And  a  negligible  quantity  of  mind.  It  ought  to  be 
a  superb  success." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     257 

Hailsham  had  never  forgiven  nor  forgotten 
those  words :  "  a  negligible  quantity  of  mind." 
He  was  convinced  that  Steele  had  always  included 
all  his  plays  in  that  one  category;  and  the  sting 
of  the  implied  scorn  was  as  acute  now  as  on  the 
day  when  it  had  touched  and  wounded  his  self- 
esteem.  A  series  of  "  superb  successes "  had 
never  removed  this  secret  stigma  from  his  pride, 
and  he  was  brooding  over  the  reawakened  insult 
and  consoling  himself  with  the  legitimate  if  relent- 
less thought  that  Adrian  Steele  would  soon  be 
having  his  deserts,  when  he  caught  sight  of  a  letter 
which  had  escaped  his  attention.  He  opened  it 
eagerly,  and  the  angry  clouds  cleared  from  his  face. 
It  was  from  T.  Scott,  who  asked  him,  if  possible, 
to  come  at  once,  as  she  had  a  specially  good  offer 
to  make  to  him. 

"  Some  unexpected  good  offer  for  the  Dutch 
ship,  I  suppose,"  he  said  to  himself,  smiling  with 
pleasure  at  the  prospect  of  seeing  Tamar.  "  Well, 
I'll  go  off  now,  and  only  too  gladly.  Thankful  to 
change  my  thoughts  to  another  subject  and  get 
away  from  this  wretched  little  scoundrel  for  a 
while,  and  delighted  to  have  a  talk  with  T.  Scott 
again.  A  most  haunting  personality.  Can't  get 
her  out  of  my  mind,  and  don't  want  to." 

He  turned  to  the  Limoges  enamel  plaque  which 
hung  over  his  writing-table.  He  had  separated  it 
from  the  many  other  pieces  of  china  and  enamel 


258     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

which  filled  his  room,  and  it  stood  out  by  itself  as 
a  distinctive  and  dominating  object  of  peculiar  in- 
terest, even  as  Tamar  herself. 

"  A  most  beautiful  piece,"  he  said  aloud 
proudly.  "  Nothing  has  pleased  me  so  much  for 
a  long  time.  And  the  circumstances,  too.  She 
didn't  know  its  value,  though !  She  would  never 
have  let  me  have  it  for  £15.  Why,  it's  worth  at 
least  £60.  A  curious  slip  for  her  to  make.  Well, 
I  suppose  the  cleverest  dealers  sometimes  cheat 
themselves.  And  she's  undoubtedly  sharp  and 
clever,  and  has  a  keen  eye  to  business.  A  most 
mysteriously  attractive  woman.  Yes,  I'll  go  to 
her  now." 

He  gathered  up  his  papers  and  locked  them  in 
his  deskj  but  gave  a  final  glance  at  the  returns  of 
The  Winning  Number. 

"  Rather  curious,"  he  said  thoughtfully. 
"  There  is  no  flaw  that  I  can  detect  in  these  ac- 
counts. Two  matinees,  extra  flying  matinees, 
entire  length  of  tours,  translation  rights,  and 
everything  else  faithfully  stated  and  paid.  If  I 
had  looked  at  this  play  only,  I  should  be  inclined 
to  think  I  had  maligned  him.  A  good  thing  for 
me,  and  a  bad  thing  for  him,  that  I  studied  them 
all." 

He  dismissed  the  matter  from  his  mind,  and 
started  out  to  see  Tamar.  He  determined  to  se- 
cure for  himself,  if  possible,  that  Siberian  onyx 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     259 

snuff-box,  which  had  greatly  taken  his  fancy  and 
which  had  been  haunting  him  almost  as  much  as 
Tamar  herself.  He  knew  that  he  would  have  no 
rest  until  it  was  transferred  to  his  own  beautiful 
little  collection  of  snuff-boxes,  and  he  was  prepared 
to  pay  a  large  sum  of  money  for  it.  Sooner  or 
later  he  knew  that  he  would,  in  self-defense,  be 
obliged  to  commit  this  extravagance,  and  he  rea- 
soned with  himself  that  he  might  just  as  well  in- 
dulge his  fancy  now.  Besides,  it  might  be 
snatched  up  by  some  one  else.  Or  T.  Scott  might 
relent,  and  allow  the  South  Kensington  Museum 
to  have  it,  and  then  it  would  be  lost  to  him  for 
ever !  And  what  a  chance  lost,  what  a  permanent 
regret  gnawing  at  his  heart ! 

For  no  enthusiastic  collector,  having  once  set 
eyes  on  its  beauty,  could  ever  forget  that  Siberian 
onyx  snuff-box.  He  saw  it  now,  dancing  before 
him,  oblong,  formed  of  plaques  of  Siberian  onyx, 
and  mounted  in  chased  and  enameled  gold.  An 
entrancing  little  treasure !  Yes,  he  must  have  it. 
T.  Scott  must  give  it  up  to  him.  He  must  coax 
her  somehow.  He  must  tempt  her  with  an  ab- 
surdly large  sum  of  money.  But  have  it  he  must ! 
He  rehearsed  what  he  should  say  to  her,  and 
laughed  delightedly  as  he  thought  of  the  inter- 
esting interview  in  store  for  him.  Would  she 
drive  a  hard  bargain  with  him?  Well,  he  must 
have  it  at  any  price. 


260     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

But,  by  the  time  he  approached  the  shop,  the 
snuff-box  had  retreated  into  the  background  of  his 
thoughts,  and  his  heart  beat  with  excitement  at 
the  prospect  of  seeing  her  personally.  Tamar 
had  a  fascination  over  men  which  was  all  the  more 
powerful  because  it  was  unconscious.  She  might 
plot,  scheme  and  devise  in  a  hundred  ways;  but 
she  did  not  plan  to  be  fascinating.  Her  attitude 
to  Hailsham  had  been  exceptional,  undertaken  en- 
tirely on  behalf  of  Adrian  Steele.  There  she  had 
deliberately  arranged  to  please  and  propitiate;  yet 
that  which  reached  him,  was  not  the  charm  she 
put  forth  consciously,  but  the  underlying  and  ele- 
mental part  of  her  nature,  charged  with  a  mys- 
terious magic  which  defied  analysis.  He  felt  it 
now  at  once,  as  he  entered  the  shop  and  found  her 
bending  over  the  counter,  fingering  some  rings 
and  bracelets. 

These  had  been  brought  in  by  a  tall,  military- 
looking  man. 

"  No,"  she  said,  even  more  curtly  than  was  her 
custom.  "  I  don't  want  any  of  these  things.  You 
can  take  them  away." 

The  man  made  no  remonstrance,  but  just  nodded 
and  went  off  rather  quickly. 

"  Stolen  goods,  I  feel  sure,"  she  said,  nodding 
to  Hailsham  as  to  an  intimate. 

"  How  do  you  know?  "  Hailsham  asked,  inter- 
ested at  once. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     261 

"  From  the  man's  manner,"  she  answered. 
"  He  was  a  receiver." 

"And  what  tells  you  that,  I  wonder?"  Hail- 
sham  questioned.  "  What  on  earth  tells  you 
that?" 

"  Instinct,  or  genius  perhaps,"  she  answered 
with  a  slight  smile,  which  faded  away  into  an  ex- 
pression of  uneasiness  as  she  remembered  the  task 
she  had  taken  on  herself  of  trying  to  buy  off 
this  man's  purpose  directed  against  Adrian  Steele. 
For  the  first  time  in  her  life  Tamar  was  nervous, 
and  her  heart  began  to  beat  so  violently,  that  for 
a  moment  or  two  she  could  not  find  the  strength 
to  move  or  speak,  but  stared  at  Hailsham  with  an 
unasked  question  on  her  lips. 

"  You  look  tired,"  he  said.  "  Do  you  feel 
ill?" 

"  I  am  never  ill,"  she  said,  controlling  her  nerves 
with  a  great  effort  and  gathering  her  courage  to- 
gether. "  A  little  neuralgic,  that's  all.  Shall  we 
go  into  the  inner  room?  " 

"  Ah,"  he  said  as  he  followed  her,  "  we  shall  be 
nearer  that  Siberian  onyx  snuff-box  after  which  I 
am  hankering.  I  remember  you  put  it  back  in  the 
safe.  Can  I  see  it  again?  " 

Without  a  word  she  unlocked  the  safe,  opened 
it  half  way,  and  handed  him  out  the  beautiful  little 
snuff-box,  which  he  took  eagerly  and  began  to  ex- 
amine with  enthusiastic  delight.  The  collector's 


262     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

rapture  lit  up  his  face;  and  oblivion  to  all  outer 
circumstances  possessed  his  whole  being.  Tamar, 
watching  him  like  a  lynx,  saw  the  signs  she  knew 
so  well  from  long  experience,  and  said  to  herself 
that  the  snuff-box  was  as  good  as  sold.  But  she 
was  too  anxious  and  troubled  to  feel  any  elation, 
and  the  one  thought  in  her  mind  was  how  she 
could  best  lay  her  proposition  before  him.  Sud- 
denly it  struck  her  that  the  snuff-box  itself  would 
help  her  out  with  her  scheme,  and  she  determined 
to  include  it  in  the  offer  which  she  was  going  to 
make  him. 

"  If  you  like  it  so  much,"  she  said,  "  it  will  be 
easy  enough  for  you  to  gratify  your  wish  when 
you  have  heard  the  offer  I  have  to  make  to 
you." 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  looking  up,  "  that  offer  of 
course !  About  the  Dutch  ship,  no  doubt.  How 
clever  of  you  I  You've  done  a  better  deal  with  it 
than  you  expected,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  about  the  Dutch  ship,"  Tamar  said 
bluntly. 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  Hailsham  asked  pleas- 
antly. 

There  was  a  pause. 

"  It  is  about  Adrian  Steele,"  Tamar  said. 

"  Adrian  Steele,"  Hailsham  repeated,  putting 
down  the  snuff-box  on  Tamar's  desk,  and  turning 
to  her  in  amazement. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     263 

"  Yes,"  she  said.  "  I  may  as  well  tell  you  at 
once  that,  in  the  past,  I  used  to  know  Adrian 
Steele." 

"  You  used  to  know  Adrian  Steele?  "  Hailsham 
repeated,  as  in  a  dream. 

"  Yes,"  Tamar  said  quietly. 

"  And  you  have  been  allowing  me  to  believe  all 
this  time  that  he  was  a  stranger  to  you?  "  Hail- 
sham  asked  impulsively. 

"  Yes,"  Tamar  answered  with  great  calmness. 

"Perhaps  you  will  tell  me  why?"  Hailsham 
asked  with  increased  excitement. 

"  Because  I  wished  to  learn  from  you  certain 
facts  which  it  was  imperative  for  me  to  know," 
Tamar  replied. 

"  And  did  you  learn  them?  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,  thank  you,"  Tamar  answered  regally. 

"  Upon  my  word,  you  are  cool,  and  no  mis- 
take," Hailsham  said  with  a  short  laugh.  But 
even  in  the  midst  of  his  surprise  and  disconcerted- 
ness,  he  could  not  help  being  influenced  by  her 
quiet  imperiousness,  which  seemed  to  claim  a  right- 
ful place  for  her  amongst  those  people  privileged 
by  nature  and  birth  to  do  as  they  please,  without 
let  or  hindrance. 

"  To  proceed,"  Tamar  said,  without  taking  any 
notice  of  his  remark,  "  I  desire  to  offer  you  the 
sum  of  £3,000  in  settlement  of  your  claim  on 
Adrian  Steele.  .Will  you  accept  it?  " 


264     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Do  you  know,"  Hailsham  exclaimed,  "  I 
don't  think  you  realize  at  all  how  you  take  me  by 
surprise." 

"  Oh  yes,  I  do,"  Tamar  said,  with  one  of  her 
sullen  smiles.  "  Don't  imagine  for  a  moment  that 
you  are  the  only  astonished  person  in  this  matter. 
I  assure  you,  I  take  myself  much  by  surprise  also. 
I  should  never  have  believed  it,  if  I  had  been  told 
a  fortnight  ago  that  I  should  offer  any  one  £3,000 
in  settlement  of  Adrian  Steele's  affairs." 

"  But  why  should  you  offer  it  now?  "  he  asked 
excitedly. 

"  Three  thousand  pounds,"  Tamar  continued, 
"  and  the  Siberian  onyx  snuff-box.  I  throw  that 
in  —  and  gladly,  since  you  like  it  so  well." 

"  I  must  really  ask  you  to  explain  yourself," 
Hailsham  said,  a  little  impatiently.  "  I  don't  un- 
derstand the  situation.  You  tell  me  that  you  know 
Adrian  Steele.  Well,  am  I  to  understand  that 
he  has  empowered  you  to  make  this  offer  on  his 
behalf?" 

"  No,"  Tamar  said  emphatically.  "  The  offer 
comes  direct  from  me.  Adrian  Steele  has  no 
means  of  knowing  that  I  am  acquainted  with 
you." 

'Why  don't  you  explain  yourself  at  once?" 
Hailsham  said,  still  more  impatiently.  ''  Why  do 
you  keep  up  this  absurd  mystery?  " 

"  There  would  not  appear  to  be  much  mystery 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     265 

about  the  money,"  Tamar  said  with  provoking 
quietness,  pointing  to  a  batch  of  papers  on  her 
desk.  "  Here  are  certificates  and  securities  for 
£3,000.  Central  Argentine  Railway,  Johannes- 
burg Municipal,  Canadian  Pacific,  and  some  oth- 
ers. You  can  examine  them  now.  Take  them 
and  look  at  them  now." 

He  shook  his  head  angrily.  He  almost  refused 
to  see  them. 

"  You  know  perfectly  well  that  I  am  not  refer- 
ring to  the  money,"  he  said,  with  blustering 
brusqueness.  "  I'm  referring  to  your  relationship 
to  Adrian  Steele.  What  are  you  to  him  ?  What  is 
he  to  you?  What  impels  you  to  stand  up  and 
offer  me  £3,000  in  settlement  of  my  claim  on 
him?  That's  the  first  thing  I  want  to  learn,  and 
you'll  just  have  to  tell  me." 

"  I  stand  rudeness  from  no  one,"  Tamar  said 
slowly.  "  Rudeness  has  always  been  considered 
my  own  speciality.  If  you  can't  put  your  ques- 
tions in  a  civil  tone  and  without  losing  control  of 
your  temper,  you'd  better  go  —  and  at  once.  The 
negotiations  are  all  off." 

She  stood  immovable,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  him. 
He  capitulated  to  her. 

"  I  am  really  sorry,"  he  said  humbly.  "  Really 
very  sorry,  believe  me." 

She  accepted  his  apology  with  a  slight,  almost 
imperceptible  inclination  of  the  head,  the  formality 


266     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

of  which  seemed  to  warn  him  that  he  would  have 
to  be  on  his  guard,  if  he  wished  to  remain  in  her 
shop. 

"  Perhaps  you  would  allow  me  to  put  the  ques- 
tion in  this  way,"  he  said.  '  What  concern  have 
you  practically  with  Adrian  Steele's  affairs?  " 

Tamar  remained  silent  for  a  moment,  making 
a  final  search  for  the  right  idea  to  guide  her  words. 
She  had  been  purposely  beating  about  the  bush  in 
this  vague  fashion  so  as  to  gain  time  for  reflection. 
And  now  a  sudden  conviction  took  possession  of 
her,  and  a  brilliant  thought  leapt  into  her  clever 
brain.  It  was  no  use  telling  Hailsham  that  her 
concern  was  that  of  some  one  who  loved  Adrian 
Steele.  She  would  have  more  chance  of  gaining 
her  ends  if  she  represented  herself  in  another  light. 
Why  had  not  she  thought  of  that  before?  But 
it  was  not  too  late.  She  took  the  plunge  delib- 
erately. 

'  The  concern  of  an  old  enemy,"  she  said  in  a 
low  voice. 

Hailsham's  face  brightened  immediately.  It 
was  obvious  that  he  was  enormously  relieved. 

"  Of    an    old    enemy,"    he    repeated    eagerly. 
'  Then  you  too  have  a  grudge  against  him  ?  " 

'  Yes,"  she  said  grimly.  "  I  want  to  get  him 
in  my  power.  I  want  to  pay  off  old  scores.  I 
intend  to  pay  off  old  scores." 

"  Ah,  but  that's  what  I  want  to  do,"  Hailsham 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     267 

exclaimed,  "  pay  off  old  scores,  mental  as  well  as 
monetary." 

As  he  spoke,  a  vision  of  his  little  scornful  enemy 
rose  before  him,  and  those  contemptuous  words 
echoed  in  his  ears :  "  a  negligible  quantity  of 
mind."  They  revived  in  his  mind  the  stinging 
remembrance  of  Steele's  habitual  disparagement  of 
his  plays,  from  an  intellectual  point  of  view.  Once 
again  he  saw  those  thin  lips  forming  into  an  in- 
dulgent sneer,  and  the  keen  face  assuming  an  ex- 
pression of  subdued  amusement.  "  A  negligible 
quantity  of  mind."  No,  by  Heaven,  no.  No 
one  except  himself  should  deal  with  this  mocking 
little  scoundrel.  Not  for  £30,000  —  not  for 
£300,000  —  not  for  all  the  art  treasures  in  the 
world.  He  would  handle  Adrian  Steele  himself, 
and  without  mercy. 

The  vision  faded.  Hailsham  looked  up  and 
saw  Tamar  watching  him  with  an  interest  which 
seemed  to  have  great  kindness  in  it. 

"  I  realize  that  I  ask  a  great  deal  of  you,"  she 
said.  "  You  probably  feel  that  you  would  rather 
do  anything  than  part  with  your  revenge  ?  " 

"How  do  you  know  that?"  he  asked  impul- 
sively. 

"  Because  I  should  feel  the  same,"  she  answered 
with  a  smile.  "  I,  too,  should  hate  to  part  with 
my  revenge." 

"  By  Jove,"  he  said,  "  you  do  understand." 


268     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

She  nodded. 

"  I  have  had  bitter  experience,"  she  said  dream- 
ily. "  You  spoke  of  paying  off  mental  scores. 
So  you,  too,  must  have  experienced  his  intellectual 
contempt.  I  don't  remember  whether  I  showed 
you  my  book  on  precious  stones.  Well,  I  wrote 
it  as  a  vindication  to  myself  of  my  own  powers, 
which  he  had  always  depreciated.  I  never  rested 
until  I  had  finished  it." 

Hailsham  drew  a  deep  breath  of  satisfaction 
and  relief. 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  "  don't  I  just  understand,  too  I  " 

He  stretched  out  his  hand  in  sign  of  comrade- 
ship, and  Tamar  pressed  it. 

"  I  should  like  to  see  your  book  on  precious 
stones,"  he  said. 

She  took  it  from  the  bookshelf  and  put  it  into 
his  hands,  and  whilst  he  was  glancing  at  it,  she 
quietly  produced  from  the  safe  one  or  two  of  her 
finest  stones  and  her  most  valuable  pearls.  When 
he  looked  up  from  the  book  and  saw  them,  he  gave 
an  exclamation  of  delighted  surprise. 

"  You  prepare  for  me  one  surprise  after  an- 
other," he  said.  "  You  make  me  a  most  astound- 
ing business  offer.  You  appear  in  the  unexpected 
role  of  a  fellow  author.  And  without  any  warn- 
ing you  disclose  the  most  beautiful  stones.  I  won- 
der what  you're  going  to  do  next." 

She  did  not  speak.     She  examined  her  pearls. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     269 

"  And  you  are  willing  to  pay  the  sum  of  £3,000 
to  get  him  into  your  own  personal  power,"  Hail- 
sham  remarked  thoughtfully,  after  a  pause.  "  A 
heavy  price  for  revenge." 

"  Oh,  don't  imagine  that  I  shan't  get  it  all 
back,"  she  said  quietly,  "every  farthing  of  it  — 
and  with  a  commission  of  at  least  12^  per  cent.  I 
see  good  business  in  it  as  well  as  revenge." 

''  What  an  extraordinary  woman  you  are,  upon 
my  soul!  "  Hailsham  said,  with  a  puzzled  smile 
on  his  face. 

"  I  am  a  Jewess,"  Tamar  said  with  dignity. 
"  A  Jewess  never  forgets  an  injury  and,  at  the 
same  time,  never  neglects  to  take  the  opportunity 
of  doing  good  business." 

The  puzzled  expression  on  Hailsham's  face 
changed  into  one  of  added  interest  and  admiration, 
for  Tamar  looked  magnificent  in  her  pride,  as  she 
claimed,  without  flinching,  the  special  characteris- 
tics of  her  race.  She  waited  a  moment,  and  then 
went  on: 

"  Seven  years  ago  Adrian  Steele  played  havoc 
with  my  life.  For  seven  years  I  have  waited. 
Seven  years.  That's  a  long  time.  And  now 
comes  my  opportunity.  I  naturally  grasp  at  it. 
What  have  you  to  say  to  my  offer?  I  admit  I 
have  used  you.  Well,  what  of  that?  You've 
been  using  me  probably  —  studying  me  for  one  of 
your  plays,  perhaps.  And  rightly  so.  I  don't 


270     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

grudge  it  to  you.  If  people  don't  use  their  op- 
portunities in  life,  they're  fools.  At  any  rate,  in 
this  instance,  neither  you've  been  a  fool  nor  I've 
been  a  fool.  I  wanted  to  get  information  out  of 
you,  and  I  got  it.  You  wanted  to  learn  some- 
thing about  me  as  a  dealer  in  antiques  and  as  a 
woman.  Well,  you've  seen  my  choicest  treasures 
and  you've  learnt  something  at  least  of  my  nature. 
It  seems  to  me  that  so  far  we  have  not  done 
badly." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  can't  deny  that  I  have  been 
studying  you,"  Hailsham  said  frankly.  "  You've 
interested  me  fearfully.  I've  never  met  any  one 
like  you  before.  But,  in  justice  to  myself,  I  want 
to  say  that  what  began  in  mere  curiosity,  has  al- 
ready passed  on  to  real  and  genuine  personal  re- 
gard. Will  you  forgive  me  for  taking  the  liberty 
in  saying  this?  I  can't  help  myself." 

"  You  needn't  try  to  help  yourself,"  Tamar 
said,  half  sullenly,  half  encouragingly.  "  I  don't 
mind  owning  that  I,  too,  have  changed  in  my 
attitude  towards  you.  I  began  by  making  use 
of  you,  and  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  I  ended 
by-" 

"  By  loving  me,  T.  Scott !  "  he  exclaimed  with 
sudden  passion.  "  Say  that  —  say  that!  " 

She  never  flinched. 

"  It's  too  early  to  say  that,"  she  answered  with 
an  indulgent  smile,  which  nevertheless  had  some- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     271 

thing  authoritative  in  it.  "  You'll  spoil  things  be- 
tween us  if  you  go  on  in  that  ridiculous  fashion." 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  said,  controlling  himself.  "  I 
beg  of  you  to  forgive  me." 

"  I  forgive  you  willingly  enough,"  she  replied, 
with  a  soft  little  laugh.  "  But  meanwhile  we're 
wasting  time,  and  I  have  to  go  out  and  attend 
a  sale  of  Old  English  silver  plate  at  Christie's. 
Perhaps  you'd  Hke  to  come  with  me,  by  the  way. 
Now  will  you  or  will  you  not  accept  my  offer  — 
£3,000  and  the  Siberian  onyx  snuff-box?  " 

"  It  is  a  most  unheard-of  proposition,"  Hail- 
sham  said,  getting  up  from  his  chair  and  leaning 
against  the  mantelshelf.  "  I  really  don't  know 
what  to  make  of  it." 

"  It  is  a  good  business  proposition,"  Tamar  an- 
swered. "  You  told  me  yourself  that  you  have 
been  defrauded  of  nearly  £2,000.  You  will  get 
your  money  back  and  make  £1,000." 

"  But  you  have  only  my  word  for  it  that  I  have 
been  defrauded,"  he  said,  turning  to  her.  *  You 
must  trust  me  enormously." 

A  curious  smile  came  over  her  face. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  you  are  trustworthy," 
she  said.  "  But  to  begin  with,  no  one  would 
think  of  entering  on  a  prosecution  unless  he  had 
definite  facts  to  go  on.  And  it  goes  without  say- 
ing that  I  should  want  those  definite  facts  —  all  of 
them." 


272     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  And  when  you've  got  them,  what  are  you  go- 
ing to  do  with  them?  "  Hailsham  asked. 

"  Keep  them  hanging  over  him,"  she  answered 
slowly.  "  Allow  each  one  to  descend  on  him,  one 
by  one,  one  by  one.  You  needn't  fear  he  won't 
be  punished." 

Hailsham  stood  lost  in  thought.  After  all,  why 
should  he  not  accept  this  offer?  He  was  fond  of 
money,  and  lived  the  sort  of  life  which  needed 
a  lot  of  money.  Here  was  £1,000  thrown  at  his 
head  for  nothing  —  except  silence.  A  bribe  to 
pass  on  his  carefully  prepared  revenge  to  some 
one  who  was  as  hostile  as  himself  towards  Adrian 
Steele,  indeed  more  so,  since,  according  to  T. 
Scott's  own  words,  she  had  certainly  been  nursing 
her  anger  for  seven  years.  Why  shouldn't  he  let 
her  deal  with  Adrian  Steele  in  her  own  way,  and 
drop  the  matter  himself,  with  £1,000 —  no  — 
£3,000  to  the  good,  no  further  trouble  about  the 
matter,  and  the  Siberian  onyx  snuff-box  and  her 
regard,  her  friendship,  her  gratitude  —  perhaps 
her  love  —  into  the  bargain  ?  It  was  years  since  a 
woman  had  exercised  such  fascination  over  him. 
Why  shouldn't  he  accept  her  offer?  Why 
shouldn't  he  do  this  to  please  her,  to  gain  favor 
in  her  eyes?  After  all,  John  Noble  was  not  go- 
ing to  prosecute.  What  should  prevent  him,  given 
these  favorable  conditions,  from  following  John 
Noble's  example  ? 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     273 

All  these  arguments  passed  through  Hailsham's 
mind,  and  he  felt  desperately  tempted  to  accept 
Tamar's  offer.  He  was  so  entirely  dominated  by 
her  personality  that,  for  the  moment,  he  was  con- 
scious of  no  resentment  at  the  way  in  which  she 
had  used  him,  probed  him  and  turned  him  inside 
out.  Indeed,  her  calm  frankness  in  owning  up 
to  her  conduct,  had  even  impressed  him  as  some- 
thing fine  and  great.  He  admired,  too,  her  dis- 
cerning cleverness  which  recognized  and  under- 
stood the  author's  instinct  in  him  to  study  and 
analyze  an  unfamiliar  type.  And  in  addition,  the 
fierce  hostility  which  they  had  in  common  against 
Adrian  Steele,  linked  her  to  him  in  a  close  tie  of 
fellowship.  Finally  and  firstly,  T.  Scott,  the 
woman,  held  him:  the  Jewess,  the  Roman  Em- 
press whom  his  pen  would  never  be  able  to  de- 
scribe. He  was,  in  short,  under  the  subtle  magic 
of  her  spell,  in  surroundings  which,  to  an  enthu- 
siastic collector,  were  in  themselves  enchanted 
ground.  Her  presence  there,  in  her  own  setting, 
completed  the  enchantment  of  the  atmosphere. 
She  was  that  atmosphere,  and  that  atmosphere  was 
herself.  In  his  coarse-grained  and  rather  com- 
monplace nature  ran  a  fine  thread  of  unalloyed  ar- 
tistic appreciation  which  Tamar  had  at  once  de- 
tected. She  held  him  by  that  thread,  as  well  as 
by  her  own  mysterious  and  compelling  charm. 

He  was  at  the  point  of  yielding  to  her  extraor- 


274     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

dinary  proposal,  and  allowing  her  to  carry  out  the 
punishment  and  destruction  of  Adrian  Steele  in 
her  own  way,  when  suddenly  there  came  a  ring 
at  the  shop  door.  Tamar,  contrary  to  her  cus- 
tom, and  probably  because  she  was  excited  and 
triumphant  at  having  brought  Hailsham  thus  far, 
hurried  off  to  answer  the  bell.  Perhaps,  too,  she 
was  anxious  to  keep  the  coast  clear  of  any  in- 
opportune visitor,  and  deemed  it  wise  to  run  no 
risks  of  a  chance  call,  for  instance,  from  Adrian 
Steele  himself.  In  her  haste  she  forgot  to  roll 
back  the  top  of  her  roller  desk,  and  lock  it. 

She  also  forgot  to  restore  her  jewels  to  the  safe, 
and  lock  that.  It  was  the  first  time  that  she  had 
ever  omitted  the  precautions  enjoined  on  her  by 
her  mother,  and  hitherto  carried  out  by  her  with  a 
sort  of  sacramental  faithfulness.  She  was  des- 
tined to  pay  dearly  for  her  negligence. 

Hailsham  had  no  intention  of  prying,  for  he 
was  as  honest  and  open  as  the  day.  But  it  sud- 
denly struck  him  that  he  might  just  as  well  have 
a  look  at  those  certificates  which  T.  Scott  had 
pressed  on  him  for  inspection,  and  on  which  he 
had  at  the  moment  rudely  refused  to  bestow  so 
much  as  a  passing  glance.  What  had  she  said 
they  were?  Ah  yes,  Central  Argentine  Railways 
and  Johannesburg  Municipals  and  Canadian  Pa- 
cifies. Good  investments  all.  There  they  were. 
There  could  be  no  harm  in  looking  at  them. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     275 

He  advanced  to  the  desk,  took  them  from  the 
top  of  a  pile  of  other  papers,  and  was  just  going 
to  examine  them,  when  his  eye  was  attracted  to 
a  letter  which  had  been  covered  up  by  the  certifi- 
cates, but  now  lay  before  him,  staring  him  full  in 
the  face.  He  gazed  at  it,  at  first  half  stupidly, 
and  then  with  sudden  recognition. 

"  My  own  handwriting,"  he  exclaimed.  "  My 
own  handwriting.  Well,  that's  odd." 

"  Why,  it's  one  of  my  own  letters  —  to  — 
Adrian  Steele,"  he  cried.  "  What  on  earth  is  it 
doing  here?  " 

It  was  his  letter  to  Steele  announcing,  in  a  few 
words,  his  intention  to  investigate  his  affairs.  He 
snatched  it  up  and  found,  to  his  utter  astonish- 
ment, that  it  was  attached  to  a  detailed  statement 
of  the  returns  of  his  play  The  Winning  Number. 
On  the  top  was  written  in  Steele's  handwriting 
these  words: 

"  You  will  find  this  flawless. — A.  S." 

"  Great  powers,"  he  gasped  out.  "  So  that's 
it.  She  has  been  duping  me." 

A  realization  of  the  truth  swept  over  him  like 
an  avalanche.  The  color  mounted  to  his  face, 
and  an  almost  uncontrolled  anger  to  his  brain.  In 
a  flash  he  saw  that  T.  Scott  had  been  trying  to 
trap  and  trick  him,  and  that  she  was  Adrian  Steele's 


276     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

confederate  and  not  his  enemy.  Fool  that  he  had 
been  not  to  take  it  in  from  the  beginning.  Every- 
"thing  pointed  to  this  explanation  of  her  attitude 
towards  him.  She  had  encouraged  him  to  come 
to  her  shop,  shown  him  her  treasures,  fostered 
his  enthusiasm,  got  rid  of  the  Dutch  ship  for  him, 
let  him  have  that  valuable  Limoges  enamel  for  a 
mere  trifle,  cajoled  him,  humored,  enticed  him  — 
and  all  for  this  —  to  get  him  in  her  power  yes,  to 
get  him  in  her  power  and  then  wrest  from  him, 
with  another  bribe,  the  right  of  dealing  with 
Adrian  Steele's  business  frauds.  Confederates  — 
that's  what  they  were  —  not  enemies.  Confeder- 
ates —  allies.  Why,  she  had  told  him  herself 
that  she  had  wanted  to  get  information  out  of  him. 
Fool  that  he  had  been  —  why  didn't  that  alone 
warn  him?  Yes,  yes,  and  he  remembered  now 
that  he  had  never  once  mentioned  to  her  the  exact 
amount  of  the  unpaid  returns  due  to  him  from 
Steele.  Never  once,  because  his  statistics  were  nojt 
complete.  He  had  spoken  vaguely  of  hundreds 
of  pounds.  He  remembered  that  well.  Noth- 
ing more  definite  than  that.  So  that  it  was  from 
Steele  himself  that  she  must  have  learnt  the  ap- 
proximate figure  of  £2,000.  Fool  that  he  had 
been  to  allow  himself  to  come  even  for  a  moment 
under  the  spell  of  her  influence.  Well,  he  was 
free  from  it  now,  and  she  should  hear  what  he 
thought  of  her. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     277 

He  threw  the  papers  back  on  to  her  desk.  He 
dashed  into  the  shop,  where  he  found  Tamar  alone, 
making  some  entry  in  a  book. 

"  A  treacherous,  designing  woman,  that's  what 
you  are,"  he  shouted,  almost  beside  himself  with 
rage.  "  A  confederate  of  Adrian  Steele's.  A 
well-matched  pair,  the  two  of  you." 

She  leaned  with  her  elbows  on  the  counter. 
Her  face  showed  no  sign  of  perturbation. 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  "  she  asked  calmly, 
as  if  the  matter  were  of  no  concern  to  her. 

"  You  should  not  leave  your  desk  open,"  he  re- 
torted excitedly. 

"  No,  you're  right,"  she  said  still  calmly,  though 
a  great  and  terrible  fear^eized  her.  "  It's  never 
safe." 

"  Oh,  don't  imagine  I've  been  prying  amongst 
your  damned  papers,"  he  shouted.  "  I  lifted  up 
your  certificates  which  you  yourself  asked  me  to 
examine,  as  I  made  up  my  mind  to  accept  your 
offer  —  yes  —  to  accept  it  —  fool  that  I  was,  and 
there  I  saw  a  letter  in  my  own  handwriting  to 
Adrian  Steele,  staring  me  in  the  face.  Perhaps 
you  remember  what  it  is." 

A  slight  tremor  passed  over  her  face.  She  re- 
membered that  she  had  forgotten  to  lock  up  in 
an  inner  drawer  one  or  two  of  Adrian's  papers 
which  she  had  been  studying  just  before  Hailsham 
came.  But  she  maintained  an  outward  composure, 


278     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

and  ignoring  Hailsham,  strolled  casually  into  the 
inner  room,  where  she  stood  before  her  desk.  He 
followed  her  and  snatched  up  his  letter  and  the 
accounts  of  The  Winning  Number. 

"  There !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  can't  deny 
that  my  letter  and  the  statement  of  The  Winning 
Number  testify  against  you." 

"  No,  I  can't,"  she  said. 

"  You  can't  deny  that  you've  tried  to  entrap  and 
deceive  me,"  he  went  on. 

11  No,"  she  answered,  "  I  can't." 

"  And  that  you  are  his  friend  and  not  his  en- 
emy," he  continued. 

"  No,"  she  replied,  "  I  can't." 

"  Then,  pray,  what  have  you  to  say  for  your- 
self ?  "  he  demanded  fiercely. 

"  Nothing,"  she  said  slowly.  "  Nothing,  ex- 
cept I  have  played  —  and  lost." 

The  intenseness  with  which  her  few  words  were 
charged,  checked  his  power  of  speech.  He 
glanced  towards  her  and  watched  her  raise  her 
right  arm  and  hand,  which  were  trembling  with 
suppressed  but  obvious  rage  and  fury  against  him 
and  herself.  She  pointed  to  the  shop  door. 

"  Go,"  she  said  in  a  low,  hoarse  voice.  "  I  hate 
you.  Do  you  hear  me?  Go,  before  I  kill  you." 

He  saw  the  dangerous  glare  in  her  eyes,  and 
the  malevolent  expression  on  her  countenance. 

He  fled,  as  from  the  spring  of  a  tigress. 


CHAPTER  XV 

ARLY  that  same  evening  Tamar  received  this 
letter  from  Adrian  Steele  :  — 


"  TAMAR,  —  The  doctors  report  favorably  on 
my  little  Alpenrose.  They  appear  now  to  regard 
me,  and  not  her,  in  a  critical  state  of  health.  They 
insist  that  I  should  go  away  for  a  change;  and 
as  their  views  chance  to  correspond  with  your 
wish  that  I  should  remove  myself  for  a  time  out 
of  the  reach  of  embarrassing  encounters,  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  to  go.  Needless  to  say,  the 
doctors  suggest  Brighton.  How  like  them, 
Tamar  !  Have  you  ever  met  a  doctor  who  didn't 
say  Brighton  or  Cairo?  Has  it  ever  struck  you 
that  they  make  their  suggestions  in  alphabetical 
order?  Brighton,  Cowes,  Davos,  Eastbourne, 
Folkestone,  Grindelwald,  Hastings,  and  so  on? 
It  is  an  excellent  plan,  and  saves  unnecessary  use 
of  the  intelligence.  Brighton  would  be  full  of 
embarrassing  encounters  for  me,  wouldn't  it?  I 
smile  when  I  think  of  all  the  theatrical  people 
I  should  run  across  there.  No,  I  must  choose 
279 


280     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

some  unfrequented  spot  unknown  to  the  profes- 
sion. I  liked  that  place  Kineton  where  you 
stopped  for  the  Meyntoun  Moat  sale.  That's 
where  I  feel  inclined  to  go.  I  think  you  stayed 
at  the  '  Prince  Rupert,'  but  no  doubt  you  will  send 
me  a  line.  An  interesting  country  that,  Tamar. 
I  see  from  the  guidebook  —  an  excellent  one, 
by  the  way  —  that  the  old  manor  house  of  Long- 
ford is  not  far  off.  I  must  visit  it.  This  would 
appear  to  be  a  better  program  than  Brighton, 
and  a  safer  one.  I  hope  to  return  restored  to 
my  usual  standard  of  superb  intellectual  perfec- 
tion. Meantime,  it  is  not  altogether  an  unprofi- 
table experience  to  have  one's  brain  power  feeble 
and  slow.  It  should  make  one  better  able  to  un- 
derstand and  tolerate  the  ordinary  brainless  per- 
son with  the  dull,  fish-like  eye.  How  I  have  ever 
abominated  that  type!  And  now,  to  be  honest 
with  myself  and  you,  I  believe  that  in  a  strict 
census,  I  ought  to  be  included  in  that  fearsome 
category.  But  only  temporarily,  surely  1  And 
meantime  your  clever  brain  works  and  thinks  for 
me,  I  know.  I  shall  struggle  through  somehow, 
with  your  help.  I  suppose,  being  a  person  not 
addicted  to  poetry,  you  don't  know  those  words 
of  Browning:  'Out  of  the  wreck  I  rise,  past 
Zeus,  to  the  Potency  o'er  him.'  Well,  they  rather 
haunt  me.  '  Out  of  the  wreck  I  rise.'  Good-by, 
Tamar  of  mine." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     281 

The  letter  fell  from  Tamar's  hand,  and  she  sat 
motionless  for  a  few  minutes.  Her  eyes  were 
rather  dim.  Then  she  took  her  pen  and  wrote  as 
follows :  — 

"  Am  thankful  you  are  going  away.  Feel  sure 
we  shall  save  the  situation  if  you  get  back  your 
thinking  powers.  Don't  go  to  the  '  Prince  Ru- 
pert.' When  you  get  to  Kineton,  take  a  trap  to 
Herne  Vicarage.  Am  writing  to  tell  the  young 
clergyman,  Richard  Forest,  a  friend  of  mine,  to 
receive  you  instead.  You  can  pay  him  for  your 
board  and  lodging.  He  will  use  the  money  for 
church  repairs.  It  is  very  lonely  there  —  and  very 
safe.  None  of  the  playwright  people  will  be  strut- 
ting about  there.  You  can  rest  and  recover  your- 
self in  Richard  Forest's  company.  You  know 
that  I,  as  well  as  you,  have  always  hated  clergy- 
men. But  he  is  something  set  apart.  Being  a 
clergyman  could  not  injure  him.  It  will  be  good 
for  you  to  be  with  him.  I  don't  mind  owning  it 
was  good  for  me,  and  that  I  haven't  lost  the  good 
from  it.  Have  only  seen  him  twice,  but  each  time 
have  felt  sure  he  is  something  set  apart.  What, 
I  don't  know.  He  will  expect  you  to  be  interested 
in  the  repairs  of  the  church.  Possibly  also,  in  the 
vicarage  ghosts.  Ghosts  have  never  attacked  me, 
but  I  remember  you've  always  pretended  to  like 
them.  Shall  come  down  in  a  few  days  and  con- 


282     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

suit  further  with  you.  Meantime,  get  rested. 
Your  brain  was  always  resourceful,  and  will  be 
again.  Even  at  your  worst  you  could  never  qual- 
ify for  the  company  of  the  dull  people  with  the 
fish-like  eyes.  Must  tell  you  I  believe  you  owe  it 
to  Nell  Silberthwaite  that  John  Noble  has  stayed 
his  hand.  Perhaps  you  could  write  a  line  to  her 
—  or  —  or  see  her  before  you  go.  Yes,  see  her. 
Should  like  you  to,  on  the  whole.  Noble  came 
to  her  office  about  some  absurd  sweated  business. 
He  noticed  the  snow  picture  and  they  spoke  of 
you.  He'd  just  come  from  your  office.  She  told 
him  she'd  known  you  years  ago,  and  that  she  owed 
a  great  deal  to  you.  Noble  said  that  reminded 
him  of  all  he  owed  to  you.  A  good  thing  he  did 
remember  it,  isn't  it?  Anyway,  he  is  out  of  the 
field,  of  his  own  accord.  With  contrivance,  the 
others  will  be  also,  for  I  have  a  fine  scheme  ma- 
turing in.  my  mind  over  which  I  laugh  softly  in 
this  inner  room.  No,  am  thankful  to  say  I  don't 
know  anything  about  Crowning  or  any  other  poet, 
but  those  words  will  be  true  of  you,  I'm  certain. 
Am  as  sure  of  that  as  I  am  of  the  difference  be- 
tween a  genuine  and  a  faked  antique.  That  re- 
minds me  your  wife  came  to-day  to  thank  me  for 
my  kindness  to  '  a  stranger  brought  to  my  gates.' 
She  insisted  on  buying  a  faked  antique  pendant, 
though  I  tried  to  guide  her  taste  and  offered  her 
something  genuine,  at  a  lower  price,  too.  Could 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    283 

see  she  was  anxious  to  reward  me  for  my  hospital- 
ity to  you.  Made  an  unfavorable  impression  on 
her.  Was  at  my  worst.  You  know  what  that  is. 

"  T.SCOTT." 

To  Nell  Silberthwaite  she  wrote :  — 

"  Have  failed  with  that  playwright  man,  Hail- 
sham,  and  through  my  own  fault.  Cannot  speak 
of  it  until  I  have  recovered  from  my  fury  with 
him  and  myself.  T.  SCOTT." 

To  Richard  Forest  she  wrote :  — 

"  A  friend  of  mine,  Adrian  Steele,  is  coming 
into  your  neighborhood.  He  was  going  to  the 
'  Prince  Rupert '  at  Kineton.  Am  asking  you  to 
take  him  in  instead.  The  money  could  be  used 
for  the  church  repairs.  He  wants  quiet  and 
peace.  He  has  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  lately. 
He  knows  a  fine  Norman  font  when  he  sees  it. 
Is  rather  a  good  all-around  antiquarian.  Show 
him  your  fresco.  He  does  not  dislike  ghosts. 

"T.  SCOTT." 

Her  expression  of  countenance  softened  as  she 
read  what  she  had  written  to  Richard  Forest. 

"  Something  set  apart,"  she  said  aloud. 
"  That's  what  you  are,  Richard  Forest." 

She  addressed  the  envelope,  and  then  stared 
at  it. 


284     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  What  would  you  do  if  you  knew  the  lies  I've 
been  telling  this  afternoon,  Richard  Forest,  and 
all  in  vain?"  she  said  aloud.  "  I  think  I  know 
what  you  would  do.  You  would  kneel  down  in 
that  lonely  little  church  and  pray  for  me.  An 
absurd  thing  to  do,  of  course,  but  I  wouldn't 
resent  it  from  you." 

She  gummed  down  the  envelope. 

"  Adrian  will  rest  in  your  company,"  she  said 
aloud.  "  I  send  him  to  you,  Richard  Forest,  as 
to  a  healer." 

She  shut  up  the  shop,  went  out,  posted  her  let- 
ters, and  wandered  aimlessly  about  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

JOAN  NEVILLE  looked  up  from  her  desk  in 
the  office  and  saw  Adrian  Steele  standing  be- 
fore her. 

"  Ah,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  Looking  down 
on  snow-white  plains  again.  But  how  changed 
he  looks.  Is  he  going  to  faint?  A  good  thing 
I  can  count  '  first  aid '  amongst  my  many  wonder- 
ful attributes." 

Aloud  she  said: 

"  Good-morning.  Mrs.  Silberthwaite  is  here, 
and  disengaged.  If  you  will  kindly  take  a  seat, 
I  will  tell  her." 

"  I  prefer  to  announce  myself,"  he  said,  with 
just  a  touch  of  hauteur  which  at  first  awed  and 
then  irritated  little  Joan  Neville. 

But  the  next  moment  he  had  appeased  her,  for 
he  turned  to  her  with  a  penitence  which  was  irre- 
sistible, and  said: 

"  The  traditional  privilege  of  an  old  friend 
and  comrade,  you  know.  Mysteriously  but  very 
definitely  precious,  like  all  threatened  privi- 
leges." 

285 


286     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  I  understand,"  she  said,  smiling,  too ;  and  she 
rose  and  held  the  door  open  for  him  to  pass  into 
the  passage  leading  to  Nell's  room. 

After  he  had  gone,  she  stood  thinking  about 
him. 

"  One  could  never  forget  him,"  she  said. 
"  Never.  One  might  want  to.  But  one  never 
could.  And  why,  I  wonder?" 

She  shook  her  head  solemnly,  gave  up  the  prob- 
lem, and  returned  to  her  work;  but  she  glanced 
once  or  twice  towards  the  door,  and  her  mind 
traveled  through  it  to  meet  that  little  masterful 
figure  which  continued  to  haunt  her  with  an  un- 
reasonable persistence. 

Meantime  Adrian  Steele  knocked  at  Nell's 
door,  with  an  old  familiar  rap  which  he  had  al- 
ways said  was  his  only  musical  composition. 

"  A  symphony,"  he  had  always  said,  "  short, 
but,  of  its  kind,  superb." 

"  Nell's  voice  bade  him  enter,  and  he  saw  for 
himself  the  glad  welcome  on  her  face. 

"  It's  delightful  to  hear  once  more  your  only 
musical  composition,  Adrian,"  she  said,  the  color 
mounting  to  her  cheeks. 

*  You  see  I  have  not  forgotten  it.  It's  still 
superb,  isn't  it?"  he  said,  smiling. 

"  I'll  be  off,  Mrs.  Silberthwaite,"  Mrs.  Carton 
said,  turning  round  from  a  cupboard  from  which 
she  was  taking  a  large  number  of  pamphlets  and 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    287 

leaflets.  "  They  won't  want  more  than  this  lot 
at  the  meeting." 

She  came  forward  with  her  burden,  and  met 
Adrian  Steele  face  to  face.  The  pamphlets 
dropped  to  the  ground. 

"  It's  Mr.  Trustworthy,"  she  cried  excitedly. 
"  I  should  know  him  anywhere.  You're  him, 
aren't  you?  Oh,  yes,  you're  hisself,  and  no  mis- 
take. We've  never  forgotten  you  down  there. 
Our  first  friend.  The  first  one  that  cared.  Mr. 
Trustworthy.  That's  what  we  always  called  you 
behind  your  back,  because  the  old  box-maker  — 
you  remember  old  Mrs.  Perkins  ?  —  one  of  them 
three  you  buried,  well,  she  was  always  saying: 
'  He's  trustworthy,  he  is.  Trustworthy.'  I  can 
hear  her  poor  old  cracked  voice  now." 

"  I  can  hear  it,"  Adrian  Steele  said  in  a  low 
voice,  which  was  almost  a  whisper. 

He  stood  with  bowed  head  and  closed  eyes,  his 
hands  folded  over  each  other  and  pressing  into 
his  breast.  In  that  one  moment  he  passed  through 
a  purgatory  of  remorse.  Then,  with  an  effort  of 
will,  he  controlled  his  emotions  and  opened  his 
eyes.  He  gave  Mrs.  Carton  a  friendly  smile  of 
recognition,  and  stooped  down  to  help  her  to  pick 
up  the  pamphlets.  She  was  puzzled  and  awed 
by  his  silence  and  his  manner,  and  glanced  at  Nell 
half  questioningly  as  she  left  the  room. 

When  the  door  closed,  he  strolled  towards  the 


288     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

mantelpiece,  and  contemplated  in  silence  the  snow 
mountain  picture  which  he  had  given  to  Nell  more 
than  fifteen  years  ago. 

"  And  so  John  Noble  recognized  the  picture, 
Nell?"  he  said  without  turning  round. 
*  Yes,  Adrian,"  she  answered. 

"  Tamar  told  me,"  he  continued.  "  She  told 
me  that  I  owed  it  to  you  that  John  Noble  has  - 

He  paused. 

" —  Has  entrusted  me  with  his  work  as  usual," 
he  added. 

"  Tamar  is  a  generous  soul,"  Nell  said  warmly. 

"  Tamar  is  —  Tamar,"  he  said  gently.  And 
Nell  heard,  with  a  pang  of  jealousy,  even  at  that 
moment,  the  love  accents  in  his  voice. 

"  I  want  to  thank  you,  Nell,"  he  went  on.  "  It 
was  good  of  you  to  —  well,  what  shall  I  say  — 
testify  for  me." 

"  No,  no,  it  wasn't,"  she  said.  "  There  was 
not  anything  good  in  it.  Your  name  came  up  in 
connection  with  the  mountain  picture,  and  some- 
thing impelled  me  to  tell  him  of  what  I  myself 
owed  you.  You  know  what  I  owe  to  you;  my 
career,  my  life's  work,  the  biggest  debt  that  any 
one  could  owe  to  any  one.  My  husband  seconded 
me  most  unselfishly,  most  splendidly.  But  you 
showed  me  the  way.  He  knew  I  thought  that. 
He  was  content  that  I  should  think  it,  because  he 
was  above  all  paltriness  and  pettiness." 


"  Every  one  has  been  generous  except  myself," 
Adrian  said.  "  Well,  it  is  at  least  something  to 
know  that  you  think  I  carried  the  lantern,  and 
showed  you  the  toilsome  way  which  you  are  tread- 
ing so  bravely.  Perhaps  I  did,  and  perhaps  I  did 
not." 

A  glimmer  of  playful  mischief  came  into  his 
eyes  as  he  said  after  a  pause : 

"  At  any  rate,  I  rescued  you  from  the  academic 
abyss.  Of  that  I  have  no  doubt  whatsoever. 
Think  of  it,  Nell,  but  for  me,  you  might  at  this 
moment  be  editing  Plato  or  Aristotle." 

"  You  speak  of  such  work  as  if  it  were  a 
calamity,"  Nell  said,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Not  a  calamity  for  those  possessed  of  a  mind 
academic  and  academic  only,"  he  answered.  "  A 
fulfilment  for  them,  and  a  right  fulfilment.  But 
there  were  other  voices  whispering  to  you  as  well 
—  the  call  of  suffering,  hopeless  poverty  in  the 
world  outside  the  seclusion  of  the  study,  making 
itself  heard  softly  but  persistently.  It  would  have 
been  a  crime  for  you  to  turn  to  it  a  deaf  ear  — 
wouldn't  it?  Events  have  proved  that  I  was 
right  in  my  diagnosis.  About  this  matter  I  am 
proud  of  myself,  and  with  justice.  You've  done 
splendidly." 

She  shook  her  head  and  remained  silent.  She 
longed  to  beg  him  to  talk,  not  of  her  but  of  him- 
self. But  she  dared  not.  She  remembered  him 


290     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

of  old.  With  tragedy  and  disaster  confronting 
him,  it  was  entirely  characteristic  of  him  that  his 
mind  should  perversely  choose  to  dwell  on  any 
subject  rather  than  on  his  own  personal  affairs. 
So  she  was  not  specially  surprised  when  he  began 
to  speak  of  the  mountains. 

"  Yes,  Nell,"  he  said,  as  though  he  were  con- 
tinuing some  conversation  about  them;  "I  have 
always  loved  the  mountains,  even  before  I  learnt 
to  know  and  share  your  deep  delight  in  them. 
Do  you  remember  when  we  first  read  together 
Ruskin's  chapters  on  the  *  Mountain  Gloom  '  and 
the  '  Mountain  Glory  '  ?  Do  you  remember  that 
passage  in  which  he  speaks  of  them  as  '  these 
great  cathedrals  of  the  earth,  with  their  gates  of 
rock,  pavements  of  cloud,  choirs  of  stream  and 
stone,  altars  of  snow,  and  vaults  of  purple  tra- 
versed by  the  continual  stars  '  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  Nell  said;  "  and  I  have  so  often  thought 
of  the  ending  words  of  the  '  Mountain  Glory.' 
You  were  fond  of  them,  in  spite  of  yourself,  you 
used  to  say.  Do  you  remember  them  now? 
'  These  pure  and  white  hills,  near  to  the  heaven 
and  sources  of  all  good  to  the  earth,  are  the  ap- 
pointed memorials  of  that  light  of  His  mercy  that 
fell,  snow-like,  on  the  Mount  of  Transfigura- 
tion.' " 

"  That  fell  snow-like,"  he  repeated  half  to  him- 
self. "  That  fell  snow-like." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    291 

"  You  used  to  tell  me,  didn't  you,  Nell,"  he  said 
turning  to  her,  "  that  you  were  often  able  to 
dream  of  the  mountains  when  you  had  the  heart- 
hunger  for  them?" 

'  Yes,"  she  said,  her  face  lighting  up.  "  I 
have  seen  the  snow  peaks  and  the  distant  ranges 
as  in  a  vision.  And  the  Alpine  glow  covering 
their  ideal  whiteness  with  that  mysteriously  beau- 
tiful purple  garment." 

"  Ah,"  he  said  eagerly,  "  I  saw  that  the  other 
night  in  my  dreams.  I  wandered  about  in  my 
favorite  haunts,  through  the  wild  and  lonely  Mei- 
enthal,  with  my  face  set  towards  the  Sustenhorner. 
My  eyes  delighted  in  that  vision  of  splendor.  It 
faded,  of  course.  But  in  so-called  real  life  I  have 
never  seen  it  more  superb.  And  my  joy  did  not 
end  with  it,  Nell.  You'll  understand  me,  be- 
cause you  would  have  felt  the  same.  The  winter 
changed,  with  a  wave  of  the  magic  wand,  to  early 
spring,  and  I  stooped  down  and  picked  my  first 
star  gentian,  and  my  first  little  soldanella.  Then 
I  woke,  alas !  " 

"  Before  you  had  gathered  a  spring  anemone, 
with  its  soft  glittering  tufts  of  hair,"  Nell  said. 
"  What  a  shame !  Well,  I'll  show  it  to  you  here 
in  this  Alpine  flora  book,  which  has  just  been 
sent  me  from  Zurich.  Here  it  is.  Isn't  it  a 
lovely  picture?  Doesn't  it  make  you  see  the  snow 
melting  away  a-nd  disclosing  whole  velvety  fields 


292     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

of  them?  And  here's  the  wee  soldanella.  And 
here's  the  little  star  gentian." 

She  had  taken  the  book  from  a  shelf,  opened  it, 
and  placed  it  in  his  hands.  He  turned  over  the 
leaves  in  silence,  nodding  when  he  came  upon 
his  favorite  flowers.  At  last  he  arrived  at  the 
plate  which,  amongst  other  Alpine  shrubs,  in- 
cluded the  Alpenrose. 

"  Alpenrose,"  he  said,  and  a  tremor  passed  over 
his  face.  He  put  the  book  down  on  Nell's  desk. 

"  You  know,"  he  said  dreamily,  "  I  called  my 
little  daughter  Alpenrose,  because  I  wanted  to 
believe  that  she  belonged  in  name,  in  being,  in 
spirit,  to  the  white  snow-land  where  the  mountain 
peaks  stand  for  the  far-off  altars  of  our  far-off 
ideals.  Alpenrose  has  been  ill.  We  nearly  lost 
her.  We  wrestled  with  death  for  her  young  life, 
and  we  won  it.  But  with  half  my  heart,  I  think, 
it  would  almost  have  been  better  if  she  had  died. 
You  see  —  I  have  — " 

He  broke  off.  Nell  waited  breathlessly.  She 
would  have  given  anything  on  earth  if  he  had  at 
that  moment  opened  his  heart  to  her,  confided  to 
her  his  difficulties  and  anxieties  and  confessed  his 
secret  sadness.  But  he  gave  no  further  sign  of 
wishing  to  unburden  his  mind  to  her.  He  stood, 
as  she  had,  once  not  so  long  ago,  seen  him  in  her 
dream,  remote,  inaccessible  on  the  mountain  side, 
cut  off  from  all  retreat.  Tamar  could  reach  him. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     293 

She  could  not.  She  had  to  solace  herself  then 
and  ever  afterwards  with  the  cold  but  snow-white 
memory  that  he  had  cared  to  show  her  a  glimpse 
of  the  soul  within  him,  and  to  speak  with  her  of 
the  wonderful  things  in  Nature  dear  to  them  both, 
and  symbolic  to  them  both  of  spiritual  life.  No 
one  could  rob  her  of  this.  Not  even  Tamar. 

Suddenly  he  took  the  Alpine  flora  book  again 
from  the  desk,  half  absent-mindedly,  half  mechan- 
ically; but  his  face  became  eager  and  interested  as 
he  opened  it  and  looked  once  more  at  the  many 
beautiful  colored  plates. 

"  What  a  splendid  page  of  gentians,"  he  said. 
"And  this  thistle  —  a  noble  fellow,  isn't  he? 
Yes,  that's  his  name,  I  remember:  Eryngium 
alpinum.  Ah,  and  here  are  the  primulas.  What 
a  lot  of  them !  And  here  is  the  sweet  little  sol- 
danella  again.  Wait  a  moment.  I  must  just  see 
what  they  have  to  say  about  the  flora  of  the 
Meienthal.  Here  it  is :  "  Meienthal  bis  zum  Sus- 
ten  " —  beginning  of  course  with  the  Ranunculus 
glacialis.  I  remember  that  was  particularly  beau- 
tiful in  the  Meienthal,  up  towards  the  Susten 
Pass.  Let's  look  up  his  plate.  Here  it  is  —  a 
very  fine  one  too !  Now  I  wonder  whether  they 
mention  my  little  favorite  village,  Wassen. 
Bravo,  here  it  is,  with  a  fat  list  attached  to  it  too, 
Nell.  I'm  proud,  but  not  surprised;  for  I  tell 
you  I've  never  seen  the  Alpine  pasture  flowers 


294     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

grow  so  richly  anywhere  as  there.  Never  in  my 
life  did  I  see  such  forget-me-nots  as  on  the  slopes 
round  Wassen.  It's  at  the  entrance  of  the  Meien- 
thal,  you  know.  And  it  has  its  church  perched  on 
a  steep  little  hill  which  dominates  the  valley. 
And  it  owns  a  raging  torrent  river,  and  a  most 
entrancing  group  of  mountains,  mercifully  de- 
spised by  climbers  and  neglected  by  tourists.  I 
have  always  loved  it.  That's  where  my  Alpine 
heart  is.  Yes,  this  is  a  gem  of  a  book,  Nell,  and 
no  mistake.  You  were  always  clever  at  unearth- 
ing the  right  book  for  the  right  subject." 

"  Take  it,  Adrian,"  she  said  impulsively.  "  I 
shall  be  so  happy  if  you  will  accept  it  from  me." 

"  It's  just  as  well  you've  made  the  offer,"  he 
said,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "  For,  upon  my 
word,  I  don't  think  that  I  could  part  with  it,  once 
having  seen  it.  I  will  take  it  away  gladly  and 
most  thankfully,  as  authorized  plunder." 

She  smiled  at  his  words,  and  at  the  faint  re- 
minder of  his  old  playful  manner.  But  when  she 
glanced  at  his  face,  and  saw  the  stress  and  strain 
of  spirit  written  large  there  in  spite  of  all  his 
efforts  of  concealment  and  his  conscious  or  un- 
conscious evasion  of  impending  trouble,  a  cry  of 
real  distress  and  concern  broke  from  her  involun- 
tarily, and  would  not  be  repressed. 

"  Adrian,"  she  cried,  in  a  tone  of  voice  charged 
with  every  kind  of  tenderness  and  pitifulness,  "  all 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    295 

will  be  well  with  you  yet,  I'm  sure.     You'll  rise 
out  of  this  trouble  —  I  know  you  will." 

He  shrank  into  himself  a  little  as  if  he  feared 
the  close  approach  of  some  unseen  danger  threat- 
ening him,  but  he  nodded  his  head  in  quiet  assent 
and  said  vaguely: 

*  Yes,  Nell.  Why  not  ?  Stranger  things  than 
that  have  been  known  to  happen  in  a  man's  life 
—  or  death." 

As  he  spoke,  his  eyes  sought  the  mountain 
picture  and  rested  there.  Nell  stood  silently  by 
his  side,  and  her  eyes,  too,  traveled  to  the  snow 
peaks,  and  remained  there  in  steadfast  but  dim 
vision. 

So  they  parted. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

XTT'HEN  Richard  Forest  received  T.  Scott's 
letter,  heralding  the  arrival  of  her  friend, 
his  face  flushed  with  pleasure  and  he  said  aloud, 
as  though  addressing  Tamar  herself: 

"  Of  course  I  shall  make  your  friend  welcome. 
And,  T.  Scott,  I  am  so  pleased  that  you  have 
thought  of  sending  him  to  me.  I  will  do  my  best 
for  him,  and  try  to  cheer  him  if  he  is  in  trouble." 

The  unexpected  situation  presented  no  difficul- 
ties to  his  mind.  Richard  was  always  ready  for 
the  unknown  in  every  direction,  and  doubts  about 
details  were  negligible  pettiness  which  did  not  af- 
fect his  large  outlook.  But  it  did  occur  to  him 
that  perhaps  Mrs.  Eustace  might  be  harassed  at 
the  prospect  of  entertaining  a  stranger  in  their 
simple  household,  and  he  spent  some  time  in  con- 
sidering how  he  should  break  the  news  to  her. 

But  when  he  went  into  the  kitchen  and  found 
her  making  a  ginger  pudding  —  an  unfailing  sign 
that  she  was  in  a  specially  kindly  frame  of  mind 
—  he  knew  that  all  was  well,  and  that  he  might 
exact  from  her  anything  he  liked.  Ginger  pud- 
ding had  been  added  to  his  category  of  symbols. 

296 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     297 

"  Mrs.  Eustace,"  he  said,  "  I  am  expecting  a 
gentleman  to  come  and  stop  for  a  few  days.  He 
comes  to-day.  I  suppose  we  can  manage  all 
right?" 

Mrs.  Eustace  left  off  kneading  the  dough,  gave 
a  sigh  of  great  relief,  and  smiled.  To  herself 
she  said: 

"  Now  there'll  be  somebody  for  him  to  intro- 
duce them  ghosts  to  instead  of  poor  me.  My 
prayers  is  answered." 

To  Richard  she  said: 

"  Of  course  we  can  manage  all  right,  dear 
young  master.  You  leave  it  to  me." 

"  He  is  a  stranger  to  me,"  Richard  said.  "  In 
fact,  I  know  nothing  else  about  him  except  that  — 
well,  that  he  doesn't  dislike  ghosts." 

He  smiled  as  he  spoke,  and  added  a  little 
wistfully: 

"  Perhaps  that  poor  forlorn  old  clergyman  I 
told  you  of,  will  appear  to  us  whilst  he  is  here." 
'  Yes,  sir,  let  us  hope  so,"  Mrs.  Eustace  re- 
plied fervently. 

"  It  has  been  a  great  disappointment  to  me, 
Mrs.  Eustace,  that  he  has  not  so  far  revealed  him- 
self again,"  Richard  said  sadly.  "  I  have  watched 
and  waited  for  him  day  after  day,  and  in  vain." 

"  Ah,"  murmured  Mrs.  Eustace  sympathet- 
ically. "  That  you  have,  I'm  sure." 

"  Well,"  said  Richard,  "  I  suppose  I  must  be 


298     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

patient.  I  ought  to  feel,  and  indeed  I  do  feel, 
that  already  a  great  privilege  has  been  bestowed 
on  me." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  murmured  Mrs.  Eustace  again, 
nodding  her  head  solemnly. 

"  Not  every  one  is  so  blessed,"  Richard  said. 
"  These  manifestations  don't  come  to  every  one, 
you  know." 

"  No,  sir,  indeed  not,"  replied  Mrs.  Eustace 
cheerfully. 

"  Well,  I  must  be  off  on  my  rounds,"  Richard 
said.  "  I  shall  be  in  as  soon  as  I  can,  Mrs. 
Eustace,  and  if  Mr.  Steele  arrives  during  my 
absence,  you'll  look  after  him,  won't  you?  I 
wonder  whether  he  will  be  interested  in  the 
church.  I  think  he  will  be  sure  to,  don't  you? 
I  understand  that  he  knows  a  good  Norman  font 
when  he  sees  it.  That  surely  implies  a  definite 
interest  in  churches;  for,  you  see,  he  must  have 
studied  and  compared  fonts." 

"  Ah,  no  doubt,"  Mrs.  Eustace  said,  trying  to 
put  on  an  antiquarian  expression,  which  was  really 
rather  successful. 

Richard  hurried  away,  but  returned  in  a  few 
minutes  accompanied  by  Skib,  who  was  barking 
joyously  whilst  his  master  whistled  a  tune  to 
him. 

"  It  is  rather  jolly  having  a  visitor,  isn't  it,  Mrs. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     299 

Eustace?  "  he  said  boyishly.  "  I  know  it's  absurd 
of  me,  but  I'm  quite  excited.  I  do  hope  he  won't 
find  it  too  lonely.  You'll  give  him  my  roam,  of 
course,  and  I'll  go  into  Miss  Margaret's." 

Mrs.  Eustace  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  sir,"  she  said  firmly.  "  That  you  shan't. 
You  must  keep  your  own  room.  You'd  be  sit- 
ting up  all  night  waiting  to  see  Miss  Margaret's 
ghost.  And  what  with  the  old  clergyman  in  the 
daytime,  and  Miss  Margaret  at  night,  there'd  be 
nothing  of  you  left." 

"  As  you  please,"  he  said,  laughing.  "  But  you 
know,  Mrs.  Eustace,  I  don't  have  to  sit  up  at  night 
to  feel  her  presence.  I  feel  her  everywhere.  All 
day  long  in  the  paneled  room.  I  should  be  lost 
and  lonely  if  I  didn't  know  for  certain  that  she 
was  near  me  all  the  time.  Otherwise  what  would 
become  of  me?  " 

"  Dear,  dear,"  thought  Mrs.  Eustace,  wiping 
the  perspiration  from  her  forehead  after  he  had 
gone.  "  What  will  become  of  the  dear  young 
gentleman,  anyway?  That's  what  I  say  to  my- 
self. A  good  thing  a  visitor's  coming.  Some 
live  person.  Some  one  not  dead.  And  yet  he 
keeps  on  saying  people  don't  die.  I  should  like 
to  know  what  they  do  do  then." 

She  sighed  and  gave  the  problem  up  as  hope- 
less, but  said  aloud: 


300     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Anyway,  some  live  person  is  coming.  And 
perhaps  he'll  feel  inclined  to  go  to  the  early  morn- 
ing service  instead  of  poor  me." 

Cheered  considerably  by  this  comforting  reflec- 
tion, she  went  blithely  about  her  preparations  for 
the  arrival  of  Adrian  Steele,  who  little  knew  the 
mental,  physical  and  spiritual  welcome  awaiting 
him  in  the  lonely  hamlet  shut  away  from  the  outer 
world,  and  could  not  guess  of  the  exhilaration 
which  the  mere  thought  of  his  visit  was  bringing 
to  the  old  woman  and  the  young  clergyman  at 
this  desolate  outpost.  If  he  had  known,  he  would 
probably  not  have  understood.  Only  those  who 
have  been  forced  by  circumstance  to  live  in  soli- 
tudes, cut  off  entirely,  or  even  partially,  from  their 
fellow  beings,  can  realize  the  vitalizing  effect  of 
unexpected  companionship.  Up  goes  the  pulse 
by  magic,  and  a  magician's  bridge  is  built,  too, 
over  all  separating  differentiations  of  mind  and 
temperament.  The  bridge,  frail  in  its  construc- 
tion, may  break  after  a  time;  but  the  heart-beat 
has  gained  renewed  strength,  which  will  last  out 
for  many  a  long  day,  and  which,  even  in  its  de- 
cline, can  be  reinvigorated  by  memory. 

Richard,  riding  on  his  bicycle  to  visit  one  of  his 
sick  parishioners,  was  already  uplifted  and  stim- 
ulated by  the  prospect  of  a  fresh  experience  in 
acquaintanceship.  His  interest  in  the  repairs  of 
the  church,  his  painting,  his  studying  of  the  mystic 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    301 

philosophers,  his  patient  vigils  for  the  reappear- 
ance of  the  old  reprobate  clergyman,  his  quiet  hap- 
piness in  knowing  himself  to  be  linked  with  the 
invisible  and  only  real  world  —  all  these  joys  of 
the  spirit  were  forgotten  for  the  moment  in  the 
human  pleasure  which  awaited  him:  a  pleasure 
all  the  greater,  too,  because  he  owed  it  to  T. 
Scott. 

She  had  continued,  as  before,  to  enclose  checks 
to  him,  on  and  off,  accompanied  always  with  the 
brief  sentence,  "  For  the  repairs  of  the  church  " ; 
and  after  that  one  great  struggle  with  himself,  he 
had  accepted  them  as  her  offerings  of  self-disci- 
pline, her  efforts  of  self-denial,  her  corrections  of 
avarice. 

He  had  no  means  of  knowing  that  owing  to  his 
influence,  T.  Scott's  very  code  of  dishonorableness 
was  at  least  undergoing  some  modification.  But 
he  would  not  have  been  surprised,  for  he  had 
thought  of  her  so  much,  and  prayed  for  her  so 
constantly  in  his  lonely  little  church,  that  it  would 
have  seemed  only  natural  to  him  that  a  message 
should  reach  her  in  some  form  or  other:  not  from 
him,  indeed,  but  perhaps  through  him. 

And  now  it  was  a  source  of  real  delight  to  him 
that  she  had  entrusted  her  friend  to  his  care,  and 
had  thus  added  a  personal  and  intimate  touch  to 
their  impersonal  intercourse.  Buoyantly  happy, 
therefore,  was  Richard  Forest.  Very  beautiful 


302     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

seemed  the  world  to  him  on  this  spring  morning. 
The  birds  sang  symphonies  to  him,  such  as  he  had 
never  heard  before,  and  the  trees  and  hedges  had 
put  on  a  most  delicate  fairy-like  garment,  which 
Nature  had  chosen  specially  for  him  out  of  her 
secret  wardrobe.  She  had  coaxed  the  sun  to  give 
out  added  light  and  warmth,  and  had  rallied  the 
sky  to  deck  itself  in  cloudless  azure  blue,  deepen- 
ing here  and  there  to  a  sapphire  tint.  All  this 
Nature  had  done  for  her  child  whom  she  loved, 
and  who  loved  her  with  a  passionate  devotion  and 
who  interpreted  her  wonders  and  secrets  with 
unfailing  clearness  of  vision.  Richard  glanced 
around  with  delighted  eyes,  and  Blake's  words  on 
the  Spring  rushed  to  his  remembrance: 

"The  hills  tell  each  other,  and  the  listening 
Valleys  hear;  all  our  longing  eyes  are  turned 
Up  to  thy  bright  pavilions;  issue  forth, 
And  let  thy  holy  feet  visit  our  clime." 

When  he  reached  home,  Mrs.  Eustace  met  him 
at  the  vicarage  gate  with  the  news  that  the  visitor 
had  arrived  and  was  waiting  for  him  in  the 
paneled  room.  Richard  hurried  in,  and  found 
Adrian  Steele  standing  staring  at  one  of  his  Blake 
illustrations:  "  The  lost  traveler's  dream  under 
the  hill" 

'  What  a  remarkable  painting,"  Adrian  Steele 
said  to  him.     "  The  artist  who  did  this,  must 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    303 

know  and  love  Blake  through  and  through.     Who 
is  he,  can  you  tell  me?  " 

"  I  am  he,"  Richard  said  shyly,  flushing  crimson 
as  he  spoke. 

Adrian  Steele  looked  at  him,  and  Tamar's  words 
echoed  back  to  him :  "  He  is  something  set  apart." 

"  I  am  indeed  fortunate  in  having  been  sent  to 
you,"  Adrian  said  gently.  "  I  too  love  Blake." 

"  Do  you?  "  Richard  said,  his  face  radiant  with 
pleasure.  "  Well,  that  is  splendid  for  us  both." 

So  there  were  no  preliminaries  to  be  gone 
through,  and  no  barriers  to  be  broken  down. 
When  Mrs.  Eustace  came  an  hour  or  two  later 
to  tell  them  that  dinner  was  ready,  she  found  them 
knee-deep  in  books  and  sketches,  and  with  hap- 
piness written  large  on  their  eager  countenances. 

"  Ah,"  she  thought,  "  all  is  well  with  the  dear 
young  master  now  he  has  got  some  live  person  to 
play  with.  Perhaps  he'll  forget  about  the  old 
clergyman's  ghost.  Perhaps  it  will  go  right  out 
of  his  head,  and  we  shan't  hear  no  more  about  it, 
thank  goodness !  " 

But  her  hopes  were  not  destined  to  be  realized, 
for  when,  later  on,  she  served  up  and  brought  in 
the  ginger  pudding,  she  heard  Richard  say: 

"  No,  I'm  not  as  lonely  as  you  might  think. 
You  know,  I  always  feel  presences  around  me; 
and  last  week,  to  my  joy,  I  saw  one  of  them  —  an 
old  clergyman.  I  must  tell  you  about  him  later, 


304     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

for  I  learn  from  T.  Scott  that  you  do  not  dislike 
so-called  ghosts." 

"  I  should  have  no  fear  of  them  if  I  saw  them," 
Adrian  Steele  answered.  "  On  the  contrary,  I 
should  be  deeply  interested." 

"  Ah  well,  let's  hope  he's  the  one  who  will  see 
them,"  thought  Mrs.  Eustace,  hurrying  away. 

"  And  T.  Scott  has  also  told  me  that  you  know 
a  good  Norman  font  when  you  see  it,"  Richard 
said.  "  There's  a  very  fine  one  in  my  little 
church.  I  thought  we  might  go  and  have  a  look 
at  it  after  dinner." 

Adrian  Steele  nodded  his  willing  consent,  and 
when  Richard  took  him  into  the  little  church  he 
showed  due  appreciation  of  the  Norman  font,  and 
was  greatly  pleased  with  the  Elizabethan  pulpit 
and  the  rood  screen,  both  of  which  he  saw  had 
suffered  cruelly  from  long  neglect.  He  delighted 
Richard's  heart  by  noticing  the  very  graceful 
effects  caused  by  an  intersection  of  arches,  and  his 
quick  eye  detected  an  old  window  of  which  the 
clergyman  was  deeply  proud.  He  found  out  of 
his  own  accord  everything  of  antiquarian  interest 
in  the  little  tumble-down  church,  and  with  a  kind- 
ness which  did  not  betray  its  underlying  purpose, 
he  laid  stress  on  the  redeeming  features  of  the 
place,  and  appeared  entirely  unconscious  of  the  all- 
pervading  signs  of  ruin  and  decay.  He  wandered 
about,  putting  his  finger  now  on  this,  now  on  that. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    305 

He  was  delighted  to  see  in  the  chancel  a  small 
brass  of  a  tonsured  priest  with  a  chalice,  and  took 
a  note  of  it  in  order  to  look  it  up  in  a  book  on 
monumental  brasses.  As  for  the  remains  of  the 
old  fresco  on  the  wall  of  the  right  aisle,  he  could 
scarcely  drag  himself  away  from  the  spot,  and  in- 
sisted that  with  patience  and  great  care  more  of 
the  fragments  of  painting  could  be  made  to  reveal 
themselves. 

"  I  may  be  wrong,"  he  said,  "  but  I  can't  help 
thinking  we  shall  find  something  concealed  here, 
on  this  bit  of  surface.  I  suspect  it  hugely.  But 
don't  let  me  be  excommunicated  if  I'm  wrong." 

But  he  was  not  wrong,  and  Richard  and  he 
laughed  with  boyish  glee  and  triumph  when,  after 
patient  and  delicate  labor  with  hammer  and 
chisel,  they  removed  a  fine  layer  of  plaster  and 
discovered  a  faint-colored  fragment  of  an  angel's 
wing. 

"  I  must  go  and  bring  Mrs.  Eustace  to  see  it," 
Richard  said  excitedly;  and  off  he  dashed  in 
search  of  that  much-enduring  lady,  who  returned 
with  him  immediately  to  the  scene  of  action. 

"  Well,  well,  that  is  a  nice  surprise  for  you,"  she 
remarked  soothingly.  "  And  harmless,  too,"  she 
thought  to  herself.  "  I  don't  mind  how  much  the 
poor  gentlemen  scratches  up  of  that  sort  of  thing, 
bless  their  hearts." 

For  some  little  time  Adrian  Steele  and  Richard 


306     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

devoted  themselves  whole-heartedly  to  this  task, 
and  their  comradeship  grew  apace  over  the  in- 
terest of  the  work.  There  was  something  pa- 
thetic in  Richard's  frank  pleasure  in  having  a  com- 
panion of  Steele's  culture  and  caliber;  and  Adrian 
Steele  himself  made  no  attempt  to  hide  his 
thorough  appreciation  of  his  new  friend  and  new 
circumstances.  He  let  himself  go,  and  revealed 
all  his  charm  and  the  best  part  of  his  nature. 

"  And  now,  what  about  the  registers  and 
the  churchwardens'  accounts?"  he  asked  gaily. 
"  You  surely  mean  to  show  me  them,  don't  you? 
And  I  expect  you've  got  an  old  Bible  tucked  away 
somewhere,  haven't  you?  Do  you  know  that 
twice  in  my  life  I've  fished  out  an  old  Bible  from 
the  depths  of  oblivion  and  restored  it  to  dignity 
and  honor?  My  last  find  was  an  Authorized 
Version,  1611;  but  my  first  was  a  Coverdale  first 
edition.  What  do  you  think  of  that?  " 

Richard's  eyes  sparkled. 

"  I  say,  what  a  find!  "  he  cried.  "  Well,  I  wish 
you  could  fish  one  out  here.  We  had  an  old 
Bible :  I  believe  it  was  a  Geneva  first  edition,  for 
there's  a  curious  entry  dated  1578  in  the  church- 
wardens' accounts,  which  I  will  show  you  in  the 
paneled  room.  I  keep  the  registers  and  accounts 
there  for  safety.  I  dug  them  out  of  the  depths; 
but,  alas!  I  found  no  Bible.  The  tradition  is  that 
about  a  hundred  years  ago  it  disappeared  mys- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    30? 

terlously  —  was  stolen,  in  fact.  No  one  knows 
by  whom,  except  — "  He  hesitated,  and  then 
added,  with  a  flush  on  his  face :  "  Well,  except 
perhaps  myself." 

"And  how  do  you  know?"  Adrian  asked,  his 
eager  attention  at  once  arrested. 

Then  Richard  told  him  with  simple  directness  of 
the  visit  he  had  had  from  the  "  presence  "  of  the 
old  forlorn  clergyman.  He  described  him  in  de- 
tail, and  described  the  Bible  with  its  blind-tooled 
leather,  its  brass  clasps,  corners,  and  central  boss. 
Adrian  listened  with  intense  interest.  He  saw 
that  the  vision  had  been  a  real  experience  to 
Richard  Forest,  who  evidently  did  not  regard  it 
in  any  way  as  extraordinary  or  amazing. 

"  You  see  I  had  been  writing  out  the  church- 
wardens' accounts  —  writing  out  that  very  item," 
he  said.  "  My  mind  was  therefore  unconsciously 
prepared  for  him.  He  knew  that,  and  came." 

'  You  must  show  me  the  entry,"  Adrian  Steele 
said.  '  The  date  of  the  first  Geneva  Bible  cer- 
tainly is  1578.  I  happen  to  remember,  because 
I've  been  studying  that  wonderful  Bible  collection 
in  the  British  Museum.  You  ought  to  see  it." 

"  I  have  seen  it,"  Richard  said,  "  and  that's 
how  I  have  been  able  to  confirm  my  belief  that 
the  stolen  Bible  was  a  first  edition  Geneva.  It  is 
a  most  curious  entry.  I  leapt  on  it  at  once  when 
I  first  began  to  copy  out  the  old  records." 


308     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Ah,  so  you're  copying  out  the  old  records," 
Adrian  said.  "  I  can  help  you  at  that  job.  I've 
got  famous  eyes  for  the  mysterious  handwriting  of 
former  days.  Nothing  baffles  me  in  that  line." 

"  I'll  give  the  task  over  to  you  most  willingly," 
Richard  said,  smiling.  "  I'm  not  at  all  good  at  it. 
But  it  had  to  be  done,  because  these  records  are 
too  precious  to  be  lost;  and,  like  the  little  church 
itself,  they  are  in  a  sorry  state  of  decay." 

"  Yes,  the  church  is  pretty  bad,"  Adrian  said, 
commenting  on  it  for  the  first  time.  "  The  clergy- 
men who  came  before  you  have  not  cared  much, 
I  should  think." 

"  No,  they  did  not  care,"  Richard  said  sorrow- 
fully. "  That's  obvious.  But,"  he  added  eag- 
erly, at  once  pleading  for  them,  "  they  had  no  one 
to  help  and  encourage  them.  Conditions  were 
against  them.  I'm  not  surprised  that  they  lost 
heart." 

Adrian  noted  how  loyally  he  ranged  himself  on 
their  side.  Whatever  they  had  been,  and  what- 
ever they  had  done,  they  at  least  had  no  hard  judge 
in  their  young  successor. 

"  However,"  Richard  said  cheerfully,  "  things 
will  soon  be  better  now.  Restoration,  of  course, 
is  out  of  the  question;  but  the  repairs,  as  T.  Scott 
insists  on  calling  them,  as  if  the  church  were  an 
old  boot,  are  well  in  hand.  You  notice  we  have 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    309 

nearly  finished  mending  the  roof;  and  we  are 
going  to  have  all  those  green-grown  flags  taken 
up,  and  concrete  put  down  first,  to  shut  out  the 
damp.  Then,  when  the  floor  is  level,  we  can  build 
up  the  pews  afresh.  You  see,  the  boarding  has 
given  way  in  lots  of  places.  That  has  worried  me 
a  good  deal,  even  more  than  the  hole  in  the  roof. 
Well,  we  are  going  to  have  all  this  done,  and 
many  other  little  improvements,  too,  owing  to  T. 
Scott's  kindness." 

'  T.    Scott's   kindness?"    Adrian   repeated   in 
astonishment.     "  Why,  where  does  she  come  in?  " 

"  She  comes  in  everywhere,"  Richard  said,  his 
face  lighting  up.  "  The  repairs  are  entirely  her 
affair." 

And  he  told  Adrian  the  story  of  the  jewels,  of 
Tamar's  visit  to  the  church,  and  of  the  checks  she 
had  been  sending.  He  left  out,  of  course,  all 
mention  of  T.  Scott's  original  attempt  to  deprive 
him  of  the  right  value  of  the  ruby  and  pearl 
crucifix.  But  of  his  own  accord  Adrian  guessed 
that  Tamar  had  been  paying  out  "  conscience  " 
money,  and  when  he  heard  that  his  own  check  for 
£19  had  been  handed  over  intact  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, he  laughed  secretly  and  said  to  himself: 

"  So  my  Tamar  has  been  having  an  ecclesiastical 
rise  out  of  me.  It  must  have  amused  her  mightily 
to  think  that  I  was  helping  to  restore  a  church. 


310     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Well,  after  such  a  crisis  as  that,  anything  could 
happen  to  me.  I  could  even  become  an  arch- 
bishop I" 

At  the  thought  he  nearly  laughed  aloud,  but  he 
suppressed  his  merriment  and  said: 

"  That  £19  was  an  old  debt  of  mine  to  T.  Scott 
which,  I  am  ashamed  to  say,  I  neglected  to  pay 
for  years.  I  am  glad  that  she  used  it  for  such  a 
good  purpose.  I  never  thought  that  I  should  live 
to  take  part,  even  indirectly,  in  the  restoration  or 
even  *  repairs  '  of  a  church  —  I  of  all  people. 
But  —  well,  in  this  instance,  I'm  honestly  glad." 

"  Thank  you,"  Richard  said.  "  That  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  me.  That  adds  to  my  gratitude  over  T. 
Scott's  kindness.  But  tell  me  why  you  say  '  you 
of  all  people.' ' 

Adrian  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  finally 
said: 

"  I  stand  outside  the  religious  world,  by  tem- 
perament and  by  choice." 

"  So  do  I,"  Richard  said  cheerfully. 

Adrian  stared  at  the  young  fellow. 

"  But  you  are  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England,"  he  said  slowly. 

"  Dogmas  and  doctrines  have  always  appeared 
to  me  of  inappreciable  importance,"  Richard  said. 
"  In  some  instances  they  are  convenient  channels 
for  dispatching  the  larger  message,  that's  all." 

"  The  larger  message,"  Adrian  Steele  repeated 


dreamily,  and  again  his  eyes  rested  on  Richard 
Forest. 

"  Ah,"  he  said  with  a  half  smile,  "  no  wonder 
they've  caged  you  up  here  in  this  lonely  little  ham- 
let. That's  the  only  safe  place  for  a  person  like 
yourself  —  from  their  point  of  view,  I  mean. 
But  wouldn't  I  just  like  to  get  hold  of  one  of  your 
bishops  or  archbishops  and  nail  him  down  here  in 
this  isolated  life  for  a  few  months.  He  would 
soon,  in  self-defense,  want  to  effect  a  radical 
change  in  the  church  system,  in  order  to  prevent 
himself  from  becoming  bored  to  death.  Yes,  I'd 
like  to  make  him  '  do  time '  here." 

"  Why,  that's  exactly  what  T.  Scott  said,  stand- 
ing on  the  same  spot  too,  in  the  chancel,"  Richard 
laughed.  "Now  isn't  that  curious?" 

"  No,"  Adrian  answered,  "  it  is  what  any  sane, 
unfettered  outsider  would  think.  No  other 
thought  would  be  possible.  It  has  been  haunting 
me  ever  since  I  came;  and  no  doubt  it  haunted 
T.  Scott  too,  and  made  her  feel  — " 

He  broke  off.  With  his  mind's  eye  he  saw 
Tamar  standing  there,  moved  to  kindness  and 
generosity  by  the  larger  message.  The  expression 
on  his  face  softened  to  a  great  tenderness. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  asked  Richard  eagerly,  "  what  do 
you  think  it  made  her  feel?  " 

"  And  made  her  feel  that  she,  in  spite  of  her- 
self, must  do  something  to  lighten  the  load  of 


312     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

loneliness,  and  to  show  that  at  least  some  one  had 
a  decent  sense  of  concern  and  responsibility," 
Adrian  said. 

Richard's  face  shone.  For  a  moment  he  was 
silent. 

"  Yes,  but  we  have  to  remember  that  there 
always  has  been  and  always  will  be  lonely  sentry 
duty  to  perform,"  he  said  at  last.  "  And  it  isn't 
nearly  so  trying  for  me  as  for  others.  You  see, 
I  have  always  been  a  dreamy  sort  of  fellow.  I 
have  never  been  without  companions  of  the  spirit. 
And  my  painting  alone  means  a  great  deal  to  me. 
By  means  of  it  I  am  able  to  express  to  myself,  at 
least,  what  I  think  I  see  underlying  everything 
that  meets  the  eye.  Any  one  who  has  that  re- 
source in  him,  is  more  independent  of  outward 
circumstances  than  those  not  so  graciously  blessed 
in  that  respect.  My  predecessors  here  were  in 
that  plight,  poor  fellows.  I  believe  the  desolation 
and  lifelessness  were  too  hard  for  them.  They 
were  wrongly  chosen  for  the  place  to  which  they 
were  sent." 

"Exactly,"  Steele  said;  "and  that  is  just  one 
instance  of  the  utter  carelessness,  indifference,  and 
futility  of  the  Church  organization.  I'd  like  to 
see  the  present  Church  system  shaken  to  its  very 
foundation.  I'd  like  to  see  all  the  lonely  little 
parishes  connected  up,  not  only  in  name  but  in 
reality,  with  a  strong  thread  of  interwork  and 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    313 

intercommunication,  and  a  constant  intercourse 
with  headquarters.  No  opportunities  then  for  the 
inhuman  dying  down  of  energy  and  interest.  All 
human  beings  want  stimulus  to  keep  up  the  best 
in  them;  and  why  the  unfortunate  clergy  should 
be  supposed  to  have  to  do  without  it,  is  more  than 
I  can  understand.  Yes,  I'd  like  to  shake  the 
whole  fabric  to  pieces,  beginning  with  the  arch- 
bishops." 

'  Yes,  I'm  sure  there  ought  to  be  great  and 
radical  changes,"  Richard  said  earnestly. 

Soon  he  laughed  with  boyish  glee.  Something 
had  tickled  his  fancy. 

"The  poor  archbishops!"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Don't  I  see  them !  They  must  evidently  expect 
no  quarter  from  you." 

'  They  would  get  none,"  Adrian  laughed, 
greatly  amused  by  the  young  fellow's  merriment. 
"  I  have  no  sympathy  with  the  rich  ecclesiastics, 
from  Wolsey  onwards.  Nor  with  the  popular 
preachers  either,  petted  and  flattered  by  the 
public." 

"  Oh,  but  come,  you  ought  to  pity  them'' 
Richard  said  simply,  "  for  theirs  is  a  dreadful  fate, 
fraught  with  severe  temptations.  I  could  imagine 
no  worse  fate.  I  have  always  prayed  to  be  de- 
livered from  it." 

Adrian  glanced  at  him,  and  saw  the  look  of 
intense  earnestness  on  his  face. 


3H     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  I  sincerely  hope  you  will  be,"  he  said  gravely. 

"  But  victims  though  they  are,  they  are  never- 
theless spiritual  sacrifices,"  Richard  added,  "  and 
in  a  sacred  cause." 

"  Ah,  I  must  confess  I  have  never  thought  of 
them  in  that  light,"  Adrian  said,  smiling  in  a 
slightly  puzzled  way.  "  I  have  always  thought 
of  them  as  people  who  have  '  gone  under,'  as  I 
have.  I  wish  I  could  look  upon  myself  as  a 
spiritual  sacrifice." 

"  You  would  not  be  conscious  of  being  one," 
Richard  said.  "  They  are  not  conscious  either." 

"  Well,  at  least  I  am  conscious  that  I'm  not 
one,"  Adrian  said  with  a  short  laugh,  which  had  a 
sardonic  ring  in  it.  And  the  next  moment  he  re- 
gretted he  had  not  repressed  it,  for  he  felt  it  had 
jarred  on  Richard.  He  immediately  experienced 
the  same  emotions  of  penitence  which  invariably 
assailed  Mrs.  Eustace  when  she  had  pained  her 
young  gentleman.  It  was  a  far  cry  from  Adrian 
Steele  to  Mrs.  Eustace;  yet  he  proceeded  to  make 
amends  in  exactly  the  same  fashion  as  herself,  cor- 
recting the  discord  with  added  tenderness  and 
mellowed  understanding. 

"  You  see,"  he  said  gently,  "  you  present  to  me 
a  somewhat  unusual  train  of  thought.  Perhaps 
these  people  are  spiritual  sacrifices.  Perhaps  we 
all  are.  Perhaps  because  of  our  downfall,  some 
others  are  rising  higher  towards  some  distant  ideal. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    315 

If  that  is  so,  then  there  is  sense  in  our  '  going 
under.'  " 

"  But  people  don't  go  under,"  Richard  said 
eagerly,  his  face  brightening  up  at  Adrian's  words. 

"  Don't  they?  "  Adrian  asked  indulgently,  as 
though  to  a  child. 

"  Of  course  not,"  Richard  said  cheerfully. 

"  Then  what  do  they  do,  I  wonder  ?  "  Adrian 
asked  with  still  more  indulgence,  rather  curious  to 
know  what  form  the  young  fellow's  answer  would 
take. 

"  Oh,  they  rise  out  of  the  wreck  somehow  or 
other,"  Richard  said.  "  No  one  could  doubt  such 
a  simple  thing  as  that." 

Adrian  started.  That  line  from  Browning: 
"  Out  of  the  wreck  I  rise,  past  Zeus,  to  the  Potency 
o'er  him  I  "  leapt  to  his  mind  and  his  lips.  But 
he  gave  the  words  no  utterance.  They  aroused  in 
him  a  vague  remembrance  of  the  difficulties  which 
he  knew,  in  his  heart  of  hearts,  were  going  to 
overwhelm  him.  He  shuddered  a  little,  and 
seemed  suddenly  to  shrink  away  into  nothing,  and 
Richard  saw  that  his  clever,  intellectual  face  had 
become  drawn  as  if  with  some  acute  pain. 

"  You're  tired,"  Richard  said  kindly.  "  I'm 
afraid  I  have  been  dragging  you  about  mercilessly. 
Come  along.  Let's  go  back  to  the  house  and  ask 
Mrs.  Eustace  to  give  us  tea  at  once.  That  will 
revive  you.  You  look  worn  out." 


316     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

He  put  his  arm  through  Adrian's  and  led  him 
back  to  the  paneled  room  where  he  installed  him 
in  the  armchair. 

"  You  must  rest,  you  know,"  he  admonished. 
"  T.  Scott  said  you  needed  rest." 

Then  off  he  dashed  to  the  kitchen  to  hasten  on 
the  preparations  for  tea. 

"  I'm  afraid  I've  been  tiring  him,  Mrs. 
Eustace,"  he  said  penitently.  "  I  really  thought 
he  was  going  to  faint.  I  wish  you'd  take  a  look 
at  him  and  tell  me  whether  you  think  he  is  all 
right." 

They  found  him  leaning  back  in  the  armchair, 
fast  asleep  and  breathing  gently. 

"  Poor  soul,"  whispered  Mrs.  Eustace,  "  he's 
tired  out.  Now  when  he  wakes  up,  don't  you, 
directly  he  opens  his  poor  eyes,  go  and  introduce 
him  to  the  old  clergyman's  ghost.  Mind  what  I 
say,  dear  young  master.  He  don't  want  no  shock, 
and  ghosts  is  a  shock,  and  no  mistake.  Not  to 
you,  perhaps,  dear  young  master,  but  to  others, 
not  forgetting  my  poor  self." 

"  I'll  remember,"  Richard  said  humbly.  "  I  do 
wish  I  was  not  so  inconsiderate.  What  with  that 
and  my  tempers,  I  wonder  you  put  up  with  me." 

"  If  you  was  perfect,  there  wouldn't  be  no 
putting  up  with  you,"  Mrs.  Eustace  said  gravely. 
"  But  you  ain't,  by  no  means." 

Richard  laughed  gaily,  nodded  at  her  as  she 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

disappeared  from  the  room,  settled  down  in  his 
chair,  and  began  to  work  out  the  first  of  a  set  of 
ideas  which  had  seized  him  for  the  illustration  of 
Wordsworth's  "  Ode  on  Immortality."  From 
time  to  time  he  glanced  at  the  sleeper,  and  having 
satisfied  himself  that  all  was  well  with  his  guest, 
forgot  about  him,  and  became  immersed  in  his  en- 
grossing task.  For  he  dearly  loved  these  exer- 
cises of  the  spiritual  imagination,  which  both 
fostered  and  gave  expression  to  his  innate 
idealism. 

Once  he  thought  he  felt  Margaret's  "  pres- 
ence "  hovering  near  him  and  looking  over  his 
shoulder  at  his  impressionist  sketch  of  "  The  im- 
perial -palaces  whence  he  came." 

"  It's  not  bad,  Margaret,  is  it?  "  he  murmured. 
"  I  think  it  does  give  some  idea  of  far-off,  dimly- 
remembered  splendor.  What  do  you  think?" 

Another  time  he  looked  up  and  saw  some  dim 
form  pass  through  the  room  and  fade  into 
nothingness. 

"  The  old  clergyman,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  Ah,  well,  some  day  he  will  reveal  himself  to 
me  again." 

The  time  sped  on,  and  at  last,  after  nearly  three 
hours'  sound  sleep,  Adrian  Steele  awoke,  refreshed 
and  restored.  He  looked  around  him,  and 
realized  his  surroundings  with  a  quiet  pleasure 
which  had  something  healing  in  it. 


3i8     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Now,"  thought  Richard,  who  saw  that  his 
guest  had  come  back  to  life,  "  I'll  remember  what 
Mrs.  Eustace  enjoined  on  me,  and  not  breathe  a 
word  about  '  presences.'  Not  a  word." 

But  he  did  not  get  a  ghost  of  a  chance  to  carry 
out  his  resolution,  for  Adrian,  without  any  pre- 
liminaries, said: 

"  Most  extraordinary,  but  I  have  dreamed  about 
your  old  Bible  stealer.  I  saw  him  with  my  mind's 
eye  just  as  you  described  him :  old,  demoralized, 
furtive.  I  saw  the  Geneva  Bible  too,  with  its 
brass  clasps  and  corners.  The  old  fellow  seemed 
to  be  standing  near  me,  here." 

Richard  held  out  bravely.  He  went  on  with 
his  sketching,  and  did  not  allow  a  word  to  escape 
him,  although  he  was  greatly  excited. 

"  I  liked  him,"  Adrian  continued.  "  I  thought 
there  was  great  charm  about  him  —  something 
rather  pathetic  too.  I  wonder  what  he  did  with 
the  Bible.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know.  I 
say,  wouldn't  it  be  thrilling  to  be  able  to  trace  it, 
and  restore  it  to  the  church?  " 

This  was  too  much  for  Richard.  He  had  to 
break  his  penitential  silence. 

"  Yes,"  he  said  excitedly.  "  That's  what  I 
hope  to  do  —  with  his  help.  Some  day  he  will 
help  me.  I'm  convinced  of  that.  And  I  should 
tell  you,  no  wonder  you've  dreamed  of  him.  He 
has  been  here.  I  felt  his  presence." 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    319 

He  was  going  to  add:  "And  my  sister 
Margaret's  too." 

But  he  restrained  himself,  remembering  his 
promise  to  Mrs.  Eustace. 

"  Well,  the  old  man  certainly  pervaded  my 
dreams,"  Adrian  went  on.  "  I  saw  him  every- 
where: in  the  chancel,  in  the  pulpit,  by  the  font, 
near  the  witch's  grave,  here,  standing  by  this  arm- 
chair, and  where  else  do  you  think  —  in  T.  Scott's 
inner  room.  I  said:  *  Tamar,  don't  you  see  the 
old  man  has  a  valuable  Bible  to  sell?  It's  a  first 
Geneva  Bible,  1578.  Why  don't  you  buy  it? 
There  he  is  standing  against  your  desk.  Don't 
you  see  him?  Why  don't  you  secure  it  before  the 
British  Museum  or  an  American  millionaire  gets 
hold  of  it,  and  why  not  make  an  effort  of  gener- 
osity and  give  it  back  to  Richard  Forest's 
church'?" 

"  And  what  did  T.  Scott  say?  "  Richard  asked 
eagerly.  "  I  should  like  to  know  what  she  said." 

"  Oh,"  Adrian  answered  with  a  smile,  "  she 
said :  '  Don't  be  a  duffer.  There  is  no  old  man 
and  no  Geneva  Bible.  And  you'd  better  go  and 
have  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  scone,  and  then  perhaps 
you'll  talk  sense.'  I  laughed  and  woke.  It  was 
so  like  Tamar." 

Richard  laughed  too. 

"  Well,"  he  said  gaily,  "  since  we  are  on  the 
subject  of  the  Bible  and  the  old  man,  I  must  show 


320     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

you  that  entry.  Look,  here  it  is.  I  feel  con- 
vinced that  this  was  the  Bible  the  old  man  was 
carrying.  Nothing  would  persuade  me  to  the 
contrary." 

Adrian  read  it  and  would  have  become  im- 
mersed in  the  old  records  then  and  there,  but  that 
Mrs.  Eustace  insisted  on  an  adjournment  for  what 
she  called  "  suppery  tea."  When  she  had  satisfied 
herself  that  the  visitor  had  eaten  well  and,  in  spite 
of  his  frail  appearance,  had  a  good  set  of  nerves 
of  his  own  which  would  not  be  scared  by  things, 
the  mere  thought  of  which  made  her  hair  stand  on 
end,  she  left  them  to  their  devices,  but  not  before 
she  had  ascertained,  in  Richard's  absence,  sur- 
reptitiously from  Adrian,  that  he  intended  to  be 
present  at  the  early  morning  service. 

"  I  suppose  you  wouldn't  be  thinking  of  going 
to  the  early  morning  service  at'  seven-thirty  to- 
morrow, sir?  "  she  said  tentatively. 

"  I  hadn't  thought  of  such  a  tragedy,"  Adrian 
answered,  smiling  at  her. 

"  Ah,  that's  the  right  word,  sir,"  Mrs.  Eustace 
said,  hugely  delighted.  "  It's  a  tragedy.  It's  one 
of  the  dear  young  master's  many  obstinacies, 
begging  his  pardon.  No  live  person  comes,  except 
poor  me,  with  my  old  bones." 

"  And  why  do  you  go  ?  "  Adrian  asked,  much 
amused. 

"  Some  live  person  must  go  and  encourage  the 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    321 

poor  young  gentleman,"  Mrs.  Eustace  said  re- 
proachfully. "  But  it's  a  trial,  at  my  time  of  life 
too,  sir.  That  it  is.  He's  that  obstinate,  is  the 
young  master." 

"  Supposing  you  stop  at  home  to-morrow  with 
your  old  bones,  and  I  go,"  Adrian  said  confi- 
dentially. "  You  can  take  an  extra  little  morning 
doze.  I  always  wake  early,  and  it  won't  be  any 
trouble  to  me  to  get  up  and  take  part  in  the 
tragedy.  Now  mind,  that's  a  compact.  You 
stay,  and  I  go.  There  is  no  sense  in  two  doing 
the  work  of  one.  Now,  that's  settled,  isn't  it?" 

They  had  no  chance  for  further  furtive  conver- 
sation, for  at  that  moment  Richard,  who  had  been 
giving  Skib  his  supper,  returned  to  the  room,  and 
Mrs.  Eustace,  with  a  new  hope  in  her  heart  and 
a  decided  twinkle  in  her  eye,  vanished  from  the 
scenes,  and  was  not  visible  again  that  night. 

But  the  men  lingered  on  late  into  the  night, 
talking  on  all  manner  of  subjects:  on  life:  on 
so-called  death  and  the  wrong  fear  of  death,  and 
the  misleading  accentuation  placed  on  its  impor- 
tance :  on  immortality :  and  on  the  new  knowledge 
which  might  in  time  break  down  the  barriers  be- 
tween the  living  and  the  dead.  The  more  they 
talked  and  discussed,  the  more  attracted  Adrian 
Steele  became  towards  the  personality  and  mind 
of  this  young  fellow  who  appeared  to  be  endowed 
with  truly  spiritual  instincts,  a  large  outlook,  a 


322     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

simplicity  of  heart,  and  a  remarkable,  though  en- 
tirely unconscious  unworldliness.  Of  course  he 
had  faults.  His  face  was  the  face  of  a  man  who 
could  never  be  cured  of  illusion,  and  at  times  it 
was  eloquent  of  an  unyielding  obstinacy.  Mrs. 
Eustace  had  alluded  to  this  obstinacy.  Adrian 
himself  had  detected  it  in  Richard's  own  accounts 
of  his  unsuccessful  dealings  with  his  parishioners; 
and  he  also  perceived  in  him  a  strange  want  of 
imaginative  consideration  for  other  people's  mental 
serenity:  a  want,  born  probably  of  his  curiously 
detached  mind.  Richard,  too,  alluded  frankly  to 
his  own  angry  outbursts  of  temper,  of  which 
lately  the  workmen  repairing  the  church  had  had 
the  benefit,  instead  of  the  long-suffering  Mrs. 
Eustace.  But  his  very  failings  gave  a  healing 
power  to  his  spirituality  which  would  have  been 
lacking  if  he  had  been  less  human.  His  value  lay 
in  the  secret  that  he  was  "  something  set  apart," 
as  Tamar  said,  and  yet  within  easy  human  reach. 
He  waited  "  presences  "  eagerly  at  one  moment, 
and  at  another,  with  no  less  eagerness,  he  fed  his 
dog.  At  one  moment  he  was  working  at  symbolic 
illustrations,  and  at  the  next  he  was  laughing  joy- 
ously at  some  bit  of  Adrian  Steele's  quaint  fun: 
some  sly  hit  at  the  Church,  some  subtle  poke  at 
the  poor  archbishops. 

Adrian  wondered  what  would  become  of  him 
in  the  future.     Would  the  Church  turn  him  out 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     323 

when  he  was  discovered  to  be  a  man  to  whom  a 
definite  religious  belief  was  a  matter  of  "  inap- 
preciable importance  "  ?  Or  would  the  Church, 
in  its  dying  condition,  reach  out  thankfully  to  such 
as  hf  was,  recognizing  at  the  eleventh  hour  that  it 
could  only  renew  its  life  by  the  large  help  of  large 
minds,  to  which  boundaries  of  thought  were  un- 
known barriers?  Whatever  the  fate  in  store  for 
him,  it  was  not  likely  that  he  would  found  a  sect 
and  become  a  Pope  on  his  own  lines.  That  was 
something  far  removed  from  his  natural  bent. 
And  his  own  wholesome  fears  on  the  subject  would 
probably  preserve  him  from  becoming  a  popular 
preacher,  always  supposing,  of  course,  that  he  had 
the  gift  of  preaching.  Adrian  rather  supposed  he 
had,  and  sketched  out  to  himself  the  sort  of 
sermon  Richard  would  preach:  imaginative  and 
mystic,  yet  resonant  with  a  pervading  human 
chord.  Well,  he  would  be  able  to  judge  when 

he  heard  him.     But  meantime  he  believed  that 
/ 

Richard  would  not  have  been  entrusted  by  fate 
with  the  larger  message,  if  he  had  not  at  the  same 
time  been  given  the  power  of  imparting  it. 

He  certainly  imparted  a  healing  peace  to  Adrian 
Steele  that  night,  not  so  much  by  what  he  had 
said,  but  by  what  he  was,  and  by  what  he  uncon- 
sciously stood  for.  Calm  thoughts,  old  ideals, 
lost  hopes,  frustrated  renewals,  regrets,  "  shad- 
owy recollections,"  "  truths  that  wake  to  perish 


324     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

never,"  crept  one  by  one  into  Adrian  Steele's 
mind,  and  guarded  well  the  entrance,  so  that  no 
hostile  forces  of  outside  circumstances  might  enter 
and  play  havoc  with  the  truce  of  God. 

Thus  Tamar's  belief  was  justified.  She  said: 
"  Adrian  will  rest  in  your  company.  I  send  him 
to  you,  Richard  Forest,  as  to  a  healer." 

The  next  morning  Adrian  Steele  was  waiting 
outside  the  vestry  door  at  a  quarter  past  seven. 
To  his  surprise  Mrs.  Eustace  came  hurrying  up 
with  the  key. 

"  I  couldn't  stay  away,"  she  explained.  "  The 
young  master  might  have  been  hurt." 

"  In  other  words,"  Adrian  said  with  a  smile, 
"  the  faithfulness  of  your  heart  got  the  better  of 
the  oldness  of  your  bones." 

"  That's  it,"  she  answered,  nodding  her  head 
approvingly.  "  And  a  good  thing  it  did,  too,  for 
the  young  master's  a  bit  late.  He  always  rings 
the  bell  hisself.  Perhaps  you  could,  could  you?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  could,"  said  Adrian,  delighted  by 
the  suggestion,  and  he  followed  Mrs.  Eustace  into 
the  church  and  began  to  pull  vigorously  the  rope 
which  she  pointed  out  to  him. 

'Wouldn't  Tamar  be  amused!"  he  thought. 

"  Now  go  sensible  about  it,"  Mrs.  Eustace 
remonstrated,  "  else  you  won't  have  no  strength 
left.  That's  better.  Why,  would  you  believe  it, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    325 

here's  two  live  women  coming  to  the  Early.  The 
first  time  since  we've  been  here.  And  the  young 
master  late  I  Well,  well  I  never !  That'll  do  for 
the  ringing.  Now  you  go  and  sit  yourself  down, 
near  the  lectern,  where  he  can  see  you." 

Adrian  obeyed  humbly.  He  sat  in  the  first  row 
of  the  pews,  and  Mrs.  Eustace  took  up  her  usual 
position  under  the  shelter  of  the  pulpit.  The  two 
women,  who  seemed  rather  nervous,  as  if  in  at- 
tending the  service  they  were  doing  something  of 
which  they  were  ashamed,  hid  themselves  in  one 
of  the  end  pews,  near  the  font.  The  minutes 
sped  on,  and  still  no  parson  appeared.  At  last 
it  dawned  on  Mrs.  Eustace's  mind  that  the  young 
master  had  overslept  himself.  The  idea  tickled 
her  immensely,  and  some  tears,  born  of  silent 
laughter,  coursed  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Won't  he  just  be  in  one  of  his  tempers  with 
me  because  he's  angry  with  hisself  ?  "  she  reflected. 

But  when  a  few  more  seconds  went  by,  and  he 
still  did  not  appear,  she  began  to  be  anxious  lest 
he  were  ill,  and  made  up  her  mind  to  go  to  the 
house  and  see  what  was  the  matter  with  him.  At 
this  moment,  however,  she  heard  his  quick  steps 
on  the  path  and  little  black  Skib's  barks  of  greeting 
outside,  and  knew  that  all  was  well.  She  subsided 
into  herself,  more  amused  than  ever  by  this 
unexpected  gap  in  the  young  master's  hitherto  un- 
broken record  of  painful  punctuality. 


326     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Perhaps  now  he'll  learn  hisself  that  the  Early 
is  a  little  trying,"  she  thought  triumphantly. 
"  Four  in  the  congregation,  and  no  clergyman  1 
Well,  if  that  isn't  funny,  nothing  is !  " 

Richard  meantime  dashed  into  the  vestry,  threw 
on  his  surplice,  and  had  great  difficulty  in  restrain- 
ing himself  from  dashing  into  the  church.  As  it 
was,  he  hurried  in,  in  a  most  undivine  fashion, 
looked  flushed  and  exceedingly  cross,  and  not  at 
all  in  a  suitable  religious  condition  to  pronounce 
a  blessing  on  any  one,  let  alone  a  whole  village. 

But  after  a  time  his  face  cleared,  and  he 
gathered  himself  together  and  succeeded  in  read- 
ing the  service  with  a  fair  amount  of  serenity. 
When  it  was  over,  however,  he  showed  that  he 
had  by  no  means  recovered  his  equilibrium,  for  he 
rushed  into  the  kitchen,  and  proceeded  to  vent  his 
wrath  with  himself  on  Mrs.  Eustace,  who  was 
composedly  stirring  the  buttered  eggs. 

"  What  on  earth  were  you  thinking  of  not  to 
wake  me  when  you  saw  I  was  going  to  be  late?  " 
he  demanded.  "  I'm  more  angry  than  I  can  say. 
Just  on  the  morning,  too,  when  there  were 
worshipers  from  the  outside  —  the  first  time,  too, 
since  we've  been  here.  I'm  exceedingly  dis- 
pleased. All  along,  you've  been  most  trying 
about  these  early  morning  services,  Mrs.  Eustace. 
It  was  the  least  you  could  have  done  to  take  the 
trouble  to  come  and  wake  me  for  once.  But  just 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     327 

because  I've  never  required  you  to  do  that  for 
me,  you  didn't  bother  yourself  about  the  matter  at 
all.  I  believe  you  let  me  sleep  on,  on  purpose. 
It  was  too  bad  of  you,  and  I'm  surprised  at  you." 

"  You  mustn't  be  angry  with  Mrs.  Eustace," 
Adrian  Steele  said,  suddenly  appearing  in  the 
kitchen.  "  I'm  the  fellow  that  you  must  be  angry 
with.  I  kept  you  up  so  late  last  night." 

"  Did  I  put  salt  or  sugar  on  the  buttered  eggs, 
dear  young  master?"  asked  Mrs.  Eustace  with  a 
detached  innocence.  "  I  get  that  confused  when 
you  lose  your  temper.  As  I  have  said  many 
times  to  myself,  if  tempers  send  any  one  to 
Paradise,  my  dear  young  master  will  be  sure  to 

go." 

Richard  looked  at  Adrian,  and  they  both 
laughed  and  ran  off  to  their  belated  breakfast, 
Richard  suddenly  ashamed  of  himself,  and  Adrian 
most  amused  by  this  truly  little  human  episode, 
delighted  with  this  exhibition  of  the  young 
clergyman's  outburst  of  anger,  and  rather  proud 
of  the  important  part  he  himself  had  played  as 
bell-ringer  in  the  morning's  tragedy. 

"  My  religious  career  has  indeed  begun  in 
earnest,"  he  said.  "  I  help  to  restore  a  church. 
I  discover  an  angel's  wing.  I  help  to  weed  the 
churchyard.  I  ring  the  bell  unaided.  From  bell- 
ringing  I  become  bishop  by  easy  and  obvious 
stages." 


328     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

And  he  thought  to  himself: 

"  Well,  certainly  Tamar  has  prescribed  a 
thorough  change  for  me,  and  decidedly  less  dull 
than  the  Harley  Street  alphabetical  list." 

Time  after  time  his  mind  returned  to  her,  re- 
maining with  her  longer  than  it  was  able  to  remain 
with  any  one  or  anything  belonging  to  his  per- 
sonal and  business  life.  Grace,  Alpenrose,  Noble, 
Nell,  Sanford,  Cecil,  Hailsham  existed  for  him  as 
in  a  dream  only.  He  had  received  a  short  letter 
from  Grace,  forwarded  from  the  "  Prince  Ru- 
pert "  at  Kineton,  where  he  had  given  his  address. 
She  had  written  that  Alpenrose  was  going  on 
splendidly,  and  that  there  was  no  need  for  him  to 
be  anxious. 

But  he  was  not  anxious,  not  because  his  love 
for  his  child  had  lessened,  but  for  the  simple 
reason  that  his  mind,  half  numbed  and  paralyzed 
for  the  time,  refused  to  make  the  effort  to  concern 
itself  with  any  circumstances  or  interests  except 
those  immediately  encompassing  him.  Tamar 
was,  in  a  way,  part  of  the  present  atmosphere,  and 
as  such,  she  entered  into  everything  that  took  place 
in  the  surroundings  to  which  she  had  sent  him. 
When  he  went  doggedly  on  with  the  task  of 
examining  the  frescoed  wall,  he  thought  of  Tamar. 

"  She  would  be  interested,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  She  would  be  rude,  of  course,  and  pretend  at 
first  to  think  nothing  of  my  angel's  wing.  But 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    329 

she  would  eventually  give  in.     I  see  her  sulky 
smile  of  capitulation." 

When  he  was  working  in  the  churchyard, 
helping  Richard  to  weed  the  paths,  he  paused  in 
his  labor,  rested  at  the  base  of  the  moss-grown 
preaching  cross,  and  thought  of  her. 

"  Tamar  would  say  that  weeds  were  just  as 
good  as  flowers,  and  that  we  were  fools  to  break 
our  backs,"  he  said  to  himself,  smiling.  "  Per- 
haps we  are,  Tamar." 

From  his  position  there  he  glanced  around,  his 
eye  resting  now  on  the  witch's  grave  which  Richard 
was  trying  to  "  reclaim,"  now  on  the  rather  fine 
old  tower,  now  on  some  ruined  cottages  abutting 
on  the  churchyard,  two  of  which  showed  the  ribs 
of  their  roofing  in  distressful  fashion,  and  now  on 
the  hills  in  the  distance. 

"  A  most  desolate  set  of  surroundings,"  he  said 
to  himself.  "  But  not  as  bad  as  Brighton,  and, 
as  Tamar  would  say,  safer." 

It  was  astonishing  with  what  easy  adaptability 
he  was  able  to  throw  himself  into  that  solitary  life. 
Not  only  did  he  weed  the  paths,  mow  the  grass 
in  the  churchyard,  and  pay  unremitting  attention 
to  the  frescoed  wall,  but  he  even  followed 
Richard's  example  by  dashing  into  the  kitchen  on 
all  occasions  to  drag  Mrs.  Eustace,  whom  he  had 
canonized  with  the  title  of  Saint  Penelope,  to  his 
varied  scenes  of  triumph  and  activity.  At  in- 


330     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

tervals  he  copied  out  the  churchwardens'  accounts 
in  his  minute  but  clear  handwriting.  He  studied 
the  fragments  of  local  history,  and  the  desultory 
notes  collected  by  one  of  Richard's  predecessors, 
and  pieced  them  together  with  a  painstaking  care 
and  skill  which  excited  Richard's  envy  and  Mrs. 
Eustace's  admiration.  He  took  the  deepest  in- 
terest in  Richard's  paintings,  sketches,  and  designs, 
examining  them  over  and  over  again,  trying  to 
discover  for  himself  the  veiled  meaning  which  he 
knew  pervaded  the  simplest  subject. 

He  read  and  re-read  Wordsworth's  "  Ode  on 
Immortality,"  and  made  out  a  list  of  the  lines 
which  he  believed  that  Richard  would  choose  for 
illustration.  These  were  one  or  two  of  them :  — 

"The  earth  and  every  common  sight 

To  me  did  seem 
Appareled  in  celestial  light." 

"  Our  souls  have  sight  of  that  immortal  sea 
Which  brought  us  hither." 

"  Of  splendor  in  the  grass,  of  glory  in  the  flower." 

He  was  delighted  when  he  learnt  that  some  of 
his  guesses  were  right;  and  disgusted  at  some  of 
his  wrong  shots.  He  asked  whether  Richard 
could  make  a  symbolic  illustration  of  that  line 
which  haunted  him:  "  Out  of  the  wreck  I  rise, 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    331 

past  Zeus,  to  the  Potency  o'er  him  1  "  He  was 
thrilled  with  interest  when  Richard  dashed  to  his 
table  and  made  a  few  wild  strokes  which  he 
called  guiding  thoughts. 

He  unearthed  from  a  drawer  some  exceedingly 
beautiful  illuminated  letters,  also  Richard's  work, 
intended  for  an  illustrated  text  of  the  Book  of 
Ruth,  and  would  not  rest  until  he  had  persuaded 
the  young  fellow  to  show  him  everything  that  he 
had  done  in  that  direction  also. 

He  asked  many  searching  questions,  and  learnt 
much  concerning  the  presences  by  which  Richard 
believed  himself  to  be  surrounded,  and  with 
which  he  felt  himself  to  be  in  communion.  He 
ended  by  waiting  patiently  for,  and  expecting  to 
see,  both  Margaret  and  the  old  Bible  stealer. 

Much  to  Richard's  delight,  he  invented  a 
realistic  and  wonderful  story  of  how  Tamar's 
grandfather  had  bought  the  stolen  Bible  and 
sold  it  to  a  rich  recluse,  in  whose  library  it  had 
lain  for  years  in  company  with  a  Coverdale, 
unseen  by  any  eyes  but  his.  Then  at  his  death 
it  had  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  family, 
one  of  whose  members  would,  in  due  time, 
guided  by  the  repentant  spirit  of  the  old  clergy- 
man, bring  it  to  Tamar's  shop.  Tamar,  also 
guided  by  the  spirit  of  the  old  clergyman,  would 
bring  it  direct  to  the  church  where  it  had  be- 


332     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

longed.  Adrian  called  this  story  a  psychological 
family  sequence,  and  elaborated  all  the  details  in 
a  convincing  way  which  would  have  persuaded 
any  hearer  of  its  eventual  fulfilment. 

It  was  curious  how  he  harped  on  that  old  Bible 
stealer.  Time  after  time  he  returned  to  the  sub- 
ject, and  Richard,  always  willing  to  speak  of  pres- 
ences, repeated  faithfully  the  story  of  the  old 
man's  visit,  described  his  appearance,  and  the  de- 
tails of  the  binding  of  the  Bible.  Adrian  made 
a  remark,  the  significance  of  which  Richard  only 
appreciated  afterwards.  He  said  that  for  years 
nothing  had  appealed  to  his  imagination  so  much 
as  the  thought  of  that  forlorn  old  reprobate  cross- 
ing the  barrier  to  reveal  himself  in  the  act  of  his 
sin  to  Richard  because  he  had  understood.  He 
did  not  attempt  to  explain  why  the  story  affected 
him  thus  profoundly.  He  told,  in  fact,  none  of 
his  own  feelings,  and  confided  no  circumstances  of 
his  own  life.  About  Tamar,  of  whom  Richard 
spoke  constantly,  he  was  equally  uncommunica- 
tive. 

If  Richard  had  wished  to  learn  from  him  any 
intimate  information  about  her  —  a  purpose  far 
from  his  mind  —  he  would  have  been  woefully 
disappointed.  Once  only,  when  Richard  was  talk- 
ing of  her  and  his  face  was  lit  up  with  a  love  and 
tenderness  which  attempted  no  concealment, 
Adrian  let  himself  go.  He  held  his  hand  out  to 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    333 

Richard,  closed  his  eyes,  and  said  in  a  low  voice 
which  betrayed  deep  emotion : 

"  I,  too,  have  always  loved  her." 

So  six  days  passed  away,  and  during  this  time 
all  the  imperative  claims  of  Adrian  Steele's  pri- 
vate and  professional  life  were  kept  miraculously 
at  bay.  But  the  end  of  this  amazing  spell  of 
apathy  was  bound  to  come.  The  wonder  was  that 
it  should  have  lasted  so  long. 

It  came,  of  course,  swiftly.  He  had  brought 
with  him  Nell's  Alpine  flora  book,  but  had  for- 
gotten about  it  until  the  fifth  morning,  when  he 
showed  it  to  Richard,  who  became  as  enthusiastic 
as  himself  over  the  flowers,  and  said  that  if  he 
had  to  make  a  choice  for  a  subject,  he  would  cer- 
tainly choose  to  paint  a  field  of  gentians  and  soft 
velvety  anemones  emerging  from  the  snow. 

"  I  don't  suppose  I  could  do  it,"  he  said.  "  But 
it  must  be  a  heavenly  sight." 

"  It  is,"  Adrian  answered  dreamily. 

After  that  he  gazed  long  and  earnestly  at  the 
beautiful  plates,  and  a  great  craving  took  posses- 
sion of  him  to  see  the  country  which  he  loved  so 
passionately.  Heart-hunger  for  the  mountains 
and  the  snow  peaks  seized  him.  Stronger  and 
stronger  grew  the  need  of  his  spirit.  But  not  a 
single  word  of  what  he  felt  escaped  his  lips.  He 
kept  the  secret  of  his  pain  and  longing  locked  in 
his  breast.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day, 


334     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

Richard  was  called  away  to  the  deathbed  of  an 
aged  woman,  and  Adrian  went  out  for  a  long  walk 
by  himself. 

He  wandered  about  with  no  set  purpose,  taking 
any  road  upon  which  he  chanced,  and  found  him- 
self at  the  entrance  of  the  first  field  leading  to 
Meyntoun  Moat,  where  he  had,  at  Tamar's  invita- 
tion, attended  the  sale  and  renewed  his  comrade- 
ship with  her.  He  strolled  on  until  he  came  to 
the  house  itself,  with  its  moat,  its  bridge,  and  its 
fine  old  fortified  walls. 

His  natural  interest  in  old  buildings  prompted 
him  to  ring  at  the  gate-house  and  try  to  seek  ad- 
mission. He  waited  for  some  little  time,  but  at 
length  was  admitted  by  the  man  in  charge,  who 
left  him  in  peace  to  saunter  where  he  pleased. 
He  was  proceeding  to  examine  some  of  the  many 
curious  features  which  had  delighted  him  on  the 
occasion  of  his  first  visit,  when  suddenly,  without 
any  warning  whatsoever,  in  the  great  dining-room, 
a  vision  of  Robert  Hailsham  rose  before  his 
mind's  eye.  The  scene  of  the  Dutch  ship  en- 
acted there  between  them  thrust  itself  on  his  re- 
membrance. He  saw  the  rage  on  Hailsham's 
face,  and  the  vindictiveness  in  his  eyes.  Then 
other  forms  passed  before  him  in  a  quick  proces- 
sion :  John  Noble,  with  sorrow  on  his  countenance, 
Cecil,  Sanford,  Faversham,  Bruce,  Chalfont,  and 
the  rest. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    335 

u  I  accuse  you,"  each  one  said  as  he  passed. 
"  I  accuse  you." 

With  a  start  Adrian  Steele  awoke  from  his  long 
spell  of  apathy  and  irresponsibility.  The  truth 
flashed  upon  him.  There  was  no  hope  for  him. 
Nothing  could  save  him  and  his  from  dishonor. 
He  might  pretend  to  think  that  it  could.  Tamar 
might  pretend.  But  it  was  only  pretense  —  pre- 
tense—  pretense.  He  knew.  Tamar  knew. 
Every  one  knew.  All  the  world  knew.  He 
rushed  out  into  the  great  empty  hall  with  its  mu- 
sicians' gallery,  and  flung  his  arms  over  his  head. 

"  Ruined,  dishonored,  ruined !  "  he  cried,  as 
though  to  an  audience  — "  Alpenrose  dishonored 
—  Grace  dishonored  —  do  you  hear  me  —  even 
my  little  Alpenrose  dishonored.  Dishonored,  I 
tell  you  —  what  do  you  think  of  that  for  a  man's 
record?  " 

He  fled  from  the  scene,  driven  by  fear  and 
horror. 

He  found  his  way  to  Kineton,  to  the  "  Prince 
Rupert,"  where  he  learnt  that  he  would  have  to 
wait  about  an  hour  for  a  train.  He  asked  for  pen 
and  ink,  and  he  wrote  the  following  lines  to  Rich- 
ard Forest :  — 

"  Richard  Forest,  I  go  to  meet,  in  my  own  way, 
a  disaster  confronting  me.  I  thank  you  for  the 
larger  message.  And  I  thank  you  for  what  you 


336     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

have  unconsciously  been  to  me  these  four  or  five 
days.  I  shall  never  see  you  again  in  this  phase 
of  life,  but  my  '  presence  '  will  be  able  to  visit 
you,  beyond  all  doubt,  because,  to  quote  the  words 
of  the  old  Bible  stealer,  because  you  have  under- 
stood. ADRIAN  STEELE." 

He  left  the  hotel,  and  walked  restlessly  up  and 
down  the  platform  of  the  station,  until  the  train 
came  and  bore  him  away. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

/"T"\AMAR    sat    in    the    inner    room    listening 
••-     silently   whilst    Christopher   Bramfield   was 
urging  her  not  to  sell  any  of  the  jewels  she  cared 
for  so  much. 

'  T.  Scott,  I  beg  of  you  not  to  part  with  any 
of  them,"  he  said.  "  You  will  always  regret  hav- 
ing done  so.  This  fine  emerald,  for  instance,  vel- 
vety and  without  flaws.  You  can't  mean  to  let 
that  go.  The  thing's  impossible.  You're  out  of 
your  senses.  And  this  lovely  pearl,  what  a  shape 
it  has,  hasn't  it  —  you  surely  can't  want  to  give 
that  up?  And  this  string  of  pearls.  Why,  I 
can't  believe  you're  going  to  sell  that.  I  don't 
understand  you  —  upon  my  word,  I  don't.  I  as- 
sure you  I  feel  like  saying  that  I'll  have  nothing 
to  do  with  the  business.  Do  let  me  persuade  you 
to  put  them  back  in  the  safe.  If  it's  money  you 
want,  T.  Scott,  you  know  you  have  only  to  ask 
me  to  lend  you  some,  and  I'll  do  so  gladly.  But 
don't  part  with  your  treasures  in  this  irresponsi- 
ble fashion.  Do  take  my  advice.  Come,  now, 
I'm  going  to  put  them  back  in  the  safe  myself." 

337 


338     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

He  rose  as  he  spoke,  and  Tamar  rose  too  and 
put  a  detaining  hand  roughly  on  his  arm. 

"  I  intend  to  sell  them,"  she  said  fiercely.  "  Let 
them  alone.  If  you  won't  see  after  the  matter, 
then  I'll  see  after  it  myself." 

He  laughed  a  little  uneasily,  and  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"  You  know  I'll  do  anything  for  you,"  he  said. 
"  But  don't  say  a  few  months  hence  that  I  did  not 
remonstrate  with  you." 

He  added  hesitatingly: 

"  I  fear  you  are  in  some  difficulty,  T.  Scott. 
How  I  wish  you'd  tell  me.  What  has  happened 
to  you?  What  has  come  over  you?  You  look 
fearfully  bothered  and  almost  ill.  I've  been  wor- 
rying about  you  ever  since  I  saw  how  little  you 
cared  for  those  stones  I  brought  the  other  day. 
I  never  saw  you  so  indifferent  in  my  life.  You've 
got  something  on  your  mind.  What  is  it,  I  won- 
der?" 

"  That's  my  affair,"  Tamar  said  brusquely,  but 
not  fiercely  this  time. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  is,"  Christopher  Bramfield 
said,  with  a  half  sigh ;  "  though  I  never  cease  to 
wish  that  your  affairs  were  mine  and  mine  yours. 
Well,  well,  I'll  take  the  emerald  and  the  string  of 
pearls  and  sell  them  for  you.  I'll  give  you  a  re- 
ceipt for  them  now." 

She  watched  him  write  out  a  receipt,  and  place 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    339 

the  stones  and  the  string  of  pearls  in  his  case. 
He  took  a  long  time  over  the  process,  for  he  had 
caught  a  look  of  hesitancy  on  her  face,  and  he 
hoped  she  might  still  relent  and  restore  her  treas- 
ures to  their  accustomed  place.  But  except  for 
this  one  faint  sign,  she  gave  no  indication  of  the 
sacrifice  she  was  making,  nor  did  she  vouchsafe 
a  single  word  on  the  subject.  She  stood,  as  Bram- 
field  had  so  often  seen  her  stand  on  other  occa- 
sions when  he  had  tried  to  persuade  or  guide  her, 
dully  determined  and  doggedly  silent.  But  after 
he  had  gone,  she  sighed  heavily  and  beat  her 
breast. 

"  My  beautiful  stones,"  she  murmured,  "  my 
beautiful  stones." 

It  was  a  lament  which  came  from  the  depths  of 
her  heart,  for  she  was  passionately  attached  to  all 
the  stones  of  her  beautiful  little  private  collection, 
and  she  had  sacrificed  two  of  the  finest,  as  well  as 
the  string  of  pearls  which  had  been  her  pride  and 
joy,  for  Adrian  Steele's  sake.  But  she  had  made 
up  her  mind  that  no  money  except  hers  should  be 
offered  to  any  one  of  his  clients,  and  on  examining 
some  of  her  investments  and  inquiring  into  their 
current  market  value,  she  had  found  that  she 
would  have  to  supplement  their  total,  if  she 
wished  to  raise  a  sufficiently  large  sum  of  money 
to  buy  off,  say,  Sanford,  Cecil,  and  some  of  the 
others.  For  this  was  the  only  scheme  which  ap- 


340     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

peared  to  her  to  contain  any  possibility  whatso- 
ever of  success.  She  felt  no  certainty  that  even 
then  Adrian's  honor  could  be  saved,  but  she  was 
grimly  resolved  to  be  prepared  for  the  eventuality. 

She  tried  to  cling  to  the  hope  that  although  she 
had  failed  with  Hailsham,  Nell  might  be  able, 
through  John  Noble,  to  succeed  with  the  others, 
perhaps  even  with  Hailsham.  Anyway  the  money 
should  be  ready,  her  money,  no  one  else's. 

Everything  must  be  tried.  No  handle  must  be 
left  unturned.  Project  after  project  must  be 
contrived,  even  up  to  the  brink  of  the  precipice. 
If  Adrian  had  to  go  under,  it  would  not  be  because 
there  had  been  no  one  to  think,  to  plan,  to  scheme 
for  him.  In  her  great  love  and  anxious  concern 
for  him,  she  had  risen  above  the  humiliation  of 
her  defeat  and  disappointment,  and  when  the 
freshness  of  her  fury  with  herself  and  Hailsham 
was  over,  she  had  gone  to  Nell. 

"  So  you  see  I  have  failed,"  she  said,  after  she 
had  told  the  pitiful  story.  "  But  perhaps  if  you 
make  an  attempt,  with  your  more  honorable  meth- 
ods, you  may  succeed,  Nell  Silberthwaite.  I 
rather  envy  you  for  them,  as  I  told  you  before. 
However,  we  have  to  do  things  in  our  own  way, 
and  with  our  own  materials.  Suppose  now  you 
try  your  luck  with  Hailsham.  If  you  can't  do 
anything  else  with  him,  at  least  get  him  to  delay 
prosecuting  until  we're  dead  certain  that  the  rest 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    341 

of  the  band  can't  be  bought  off.  Try  to  get  a 
personal  interview  with  him.  He's  a  blustering 
commonplace  creature  with  the  mind  of  an  oyster, 
but  he  has  enough  intelligence  to  know  the  differ- 
ence between  you  and  me.  That  alone  may  help 
matters.  Yes,  go  and  see  whether  you  can  suc- 
ceed where  I've  failed.  I  don't  mind  now 
whether  it's  you  or  myself." 

"  Tamar,"  Nell  said,  deeply  touched  by  her 
unselfish  impersonality,  "  whether  you've  failed  or 
not  failed,  remember,  for  your  comfort,  that  you 
are  the  one  to  whom  Adrian  came  for  help. 
You're  the  one  to  whom  his  heart  turns.  Noth- 
ing can  alter  that  fact  for  you  or  for  him." 

"  That's  what  I've  been  saying  to  myself  all 
along,"  Tamar  answered.  "  But  I  didn't  expect 
you  were  going  to  remind  me  of  it.  Yet  I  might 
have  known  you  would.  I  don't  mind  telling  you 
that  I  think  you've  been  generous  to  me." 

"  And  you've  been  generous  to  me,"  Nell  said. 
"  You  sent  him  to  me  the  other  day.  I  shall  al- 
ways remember  that,  Tamar.  You  could  very 
easily  have  been  silent  about  my  part  if  you  had 
chosen." 

"  I  wanted  to  at  first,"  Tamar  admitted.  "  And 
then  I  didn't.  You  see,  I've  never  disliked  you." 

Nell  smiled. 

"  One  of  Adrian's  old  speeches  about  you  comes 
floating  back  to  my  memory,"  she  said.  "  This 


342     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

is  it:  '  If  Tamar  likes  a  person  exceedingly  much, 
she  will  probably  tell  you  that  she  does  not  alto- 
gether dislike  that  person.  Only  about  precious 
stones  will  she  speak  in  more  flattering  terms. 
Alas,  would  that  I  were  a  precious  stone.'  Do 
you  remember,  Tamar  ?  " 

Tamar  nodded.  A  faint  smile  flitted  across  her 
face,  too,  but  faded  at  once. 

"  Well,  I'll  try  to  arrange  through  Mr.  Noble 
about  seeing  Hailsham,"  Nell  said  after  a  pause, 
"  and  I'll  come  and  report  to  you." 

"  And  I'll  get  all  the  money  ready,  and  I'll  take 
another  look  at  his  accounts  and  see  whether  I 
can  make  anything  of  them,"  said  Tamar.  "  At 
present,  as  you're  aware,  he's  numbed  and  par- 
alyzed, and  isn't  facing  things.  But  when  he 
awakes,  we  must  be  able  to  convince  him  that  he 
has  a  good  chance  of  righting  himself.  If  his 
brain  has  recovered  its  power,  he  will  do  the 
rest." 

Nell  remained  silent.  She  knew,  as  well  as 
Tamar,  that  they  were  leading  a  forlorn  hope, 
and  that  when  Adrian  awoke,  he  too  would  know. 
But  they  did  not  confess  this  to  each  other,  and 
they  parted  after  a  long  detailed  consultation,  in 
which  eventual  failure  was  never  even  mentioned 
as  a  possibility.  Every  source  of  influence  was  to 
be  tapped.  No  effort  was  to  be  spared. 

That  was  two  or  three  days  ago,  and  this  morn- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    343 

ing  Nell  had  written  to  say  that  Hailsham  was  out 
of  town,  but  that  she  hoped  to  secure  an  early 
interview  with  him  directly  he  returned,  and  that 
she  would  call  in  during  the  afternoon,  as  she  had 
several  things  to  report.  Mr.  Noble  wished  to 
see  Tamar  and  learn  from  her  some  of  the  details 
about  Sanford's  affairs.  Meantime  he  sent  the 
message  that  he  rather  believed  that  Sanford 
could  be  persuaded  to  remain  quiescent;  but  he 
was  not  sure. 

So  after  Christopher  Bramfield  had  gone, 
Tamar,  dismissing  from  her  mind  the  memory  of 
her  sacrifice,  looked  out  the  double  set  of  San- 
ford's  accounts,  and  began  to  calculate  roughly  to 
what  extent  Adrian  had  taxed  this  particular  client. 
She  was  deep  in  the  tiresome  and  intricate  task, 
and  had  lost  herself  in  renewed  amazement  over 
the  elaborately  worked  out  scheme  of  continuous 
fraud,  when  a  ring  came  at  the  shop  door,  and  she 
had  to  rouse  herself  to  answer  it.  To  her  amaze- 
ment she  found  Richard  Forest  standing  in  the 
shop.  He  looked  the  picture  of  distracted  be- 
wilderment. 

"  You  here !  "  she  exclaimed,  with  kindness  and 
astonishment  in  her  voice.  "  Why,  what's  the 
matter  with  you?  You  look  half  out  of  your 


senses." 


'  T.  Scott,  I  am  out  of  my  senses,"  he  said  ex- 
citedly.    "  He's   gone  —  disappeared  in  my   ab- 


344     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

sence  —  wrote  this  letter  at  the  *  Prince  Rupert ' 
—  took  the  train  —  disappeared  —  look  at  it  — 
read  it  —  what  does  he  mean  —  gone  to  meet  a 
disaster  confronting  him  —  in  his  own  way  — 
what  disaster  —  can't  you  explain  it  —  we  were 
having  such  a  happy  time  together  —  I  liked  him 
so  tremendously,  T.  Scott  —  and  then  for  him  to 
go  off  like  this  —  suddenly  —  without  any  warn- 
ing —  if  only  I  could  have  seen  him  and  spoken 
one  word  to  him  —  tell  me  what  it  all  means  — 
I  must  know." 

Tamar,  who  had  turned  deadly  pale,  took  the 
letter  and  read  it. 

"  It  means  that  he  has  awakened,"  she  said 
slowly.  "  It  means  that  he  has  fled  from  — " 

"  From  what,  from  what  ? "  Richard  inter- 
rupted. "What  has  he  fled  from?" 

"  From  prosecution  for  frauds  committed  by 
him,"  Tamar  said,  almost  inaudibly. 

"  It  isn't  possible,"  Richard  cried.  "  I'll  never 
believe  it  of  him.  Never." 

"  You'll  have  to  believe  it,"  Tamar  said  in  the 
same  low  voice.  "  It's  —  it's  the  truth." 

'  T.  Scott,  T.  Scott,  what  are  you  telling  me?  " 
he  cried  in  an  agony  of  spirit. 

He  flung  himself  on  a  chair,  and  covered  his 
face  with  his  hands.  Vivid  reminders  of  hitherto 
hidden  import  flashed  now  like  lightning  across 
his  mind.  He  recalled  the  intense,  almost  mor- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    345 

bid,  interest  Adrian  Steele  had  taken  in  the  der- 
elict old  Bible  stealer.  He  remembered  how 
constantly  Adrian  Steele  had  inquired  about  and 
dwelt  on  the  histories  of  the  other  clergymen  who 
had  "  gone  under  "  in  that  desolate  life,  and  with 
what  a  painful  strained  manner  he  had  quoted 
those  words  from  Browning :  "  Out  of  the  wreck 
I  rise,  past  Zeus,  to  the  Potency  o'er  him!  "  and 
asked  whether  they  were  not  suitable  for  symbolic 
illustration.  These  and  many  other  thoughts  held 
Richard  Forest  in  bondage,  whilst  Tamar  leaned 
with  her  elbows  on  the  counter,  turned  to  stone, 
and  staring  vacantly  at  Adrian  Steele's  letter  with 
its  message  of  impending  and  inevitable  doom. 

It  was  thus  that  Nell  found  them.  She  stood 
in  the  center  of  the  shop,  and  glanced  in  deep 
anxiety  and  alarm  from  Tamar  to  Richard  and 
from  Richard  to  Tamar. 

"Tamar,"  she  cried,  "what  is  It?  Has  any- 
thing fearful  happened?  What  is  it?  For 
Heaven's  sake  speak  —  say  something." 

Tamar  showed  no  sign  that  she  saw  Nell  or 
realized  her  presence,  but  answered  in  a  voice 
which  had  no  resonance  in  it: 

"  Adrian  has  gone  —  disappeared." 

"But  where  —  where?"  Nell  asked  impetu- 
ously. 

"How  should  I  know?"  Tamar  answered 
without  stirring. 


346     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Can't  you  tell  me  anything?  I  know  he  has 
been  staying  with  you,"  Nell  cried,  turning  im- 
ploringly to  Richard  Forest  who  had  now  uncov- 
ered his  face.  "  I  beg  of  you  to  tell  me.  He  is 
an  old  friend  of  mine,  too,  and  very,  very  dear  to 
me,  unspeakably  dear  to  me." 

"  I  know  nothing  except  what  his  letter  tells 
us,"  he  said  with  great  gentleness.  "  Here  it  is. 
Please  read  it." 

Nell  read  it.  It  fell  from  her  hands;  and  she, 
too,  became  like  Tamar,  stunned,  paralyzed. 

It  was  Richard  Forest  who  roused  them  both 
to  life  and  action.  He  sprang  up  suddenly,  his 
natural  dreaminess  converted  by  magic  to  some 
inspired  purpose,  and  his  face  aglow  with  a  strange 
smile  of  rapture,  as  though  he  were  urged  and 
prompted  by  some  distant  vision  veiled  to  other 
eyes. 

"  Well,  we  must  search  for  him,"  he  cried. 
"  We  must  search  everywhere,  and  never,  never 
rest  until  we've  found  him.  You,  his  old  friends, 
will  be  able  to  give  the  lead.  But  I  shall  come 
with  you  —  I  must  come  with  you  in  your  search." 

"  You  will  come  with  us?  "  they  both  repeated, 
half  in  wonder  at  him  and  half  in  joyful  surprise. 

"  Why,  of  course,"  he  answered.  "  I  arranged 
for  all  that  and  wired  to  an  old  friend  to  take  my 
place.  Do  you  imagine  that  I  could  stay  behind 
eating  my  heart  away  in  inaction  —  I  who  have 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    347 

had  him  with  me  these  few  days  and  entered  into 
a  comradeship  with  him  which  nothing  in  any 
phase  of  existence  can  break?  What  do  I  care 
about  his  frauds  and  his  failings?  I  only  know 
him  as  I  found  him.  Of  course  I  shall  go  with 
you.  And  we'll  never  give  up  the  search  until  we 
find  him." 

He  had  sounded  the  chord  which  set  their 
brains  and  hearts  in  vibration  again.  He  had 
broken  in  upon  their  dull  despair,  and  won  their 
instant  gratitude  and  confidence  by  ranging  him- 
self instinctively  on  the  side  of  the  man  whom 
they  i)oth  loved.  Nell,  who  had  only  seen  him 
for  a  moment  before  when  he  came  to  sell  the 
crucifix,  and  had  only  heard  vaguely  from  Tamar 
that  Adrian  was  stopping  with  him,  felt  at  once 
the  noble  attraction  in  him  which  had  drawn 
Tamar  to  him  from  the  beginning,  and  had  stirred 
in  Adrian  an  impulse  of  imperishable  trust.  They 
began  immediately  to  consult  about  what  was  to 
be  done,  and  of  course  the  first  plan  which  sug- 
gested itself,  was  to  make  inquiries  at  his  own 
home;  and  since  Adrian  had  been  last  in  Richard 
Forest's  company,  it  seemed  only  natural  that  he 
should  be  the  one  to  bring  the  news  that  his  guest 
had  disappeared  and  had  left  behind  him  a  dis- 
quieting letter. 

'  Yes,  you'd  better  go  there,"  Tamar  said. 
"  But  he's  not  likely  to  be  there.  I  suppose  he 


348     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

spoke  to  you  of  his  wife  and  his  child,  Alpen- 
rose?" 

"  He  gave  me  no  confidences,  and  I  didn't  want 
them,  T.  Scott,"  Richard  said  simply.  "  He 
spoke  of  no  one  except  you  —  and  then  only  once. 
Some  day  I  will  tell  you  what  he  said." 

A  tremor  passed  over  Tamar's  face.  She 
turned  away. 

Nell  came  to  her  help. 

"  Yes,  you'd  better  go  to  his  home,"  she  said 
to  Richard  Forest.  "  But  it's  true  he  is  not  likely 
to  be  there,  because  you  see  —  well,  you  see  he 
couldn't  be  there  —  if  —  if  he  couldn't  face 
things.  If  I  didn't  know  the  circumstances,  I 
should  have  come  first  of  all  to  Tamar  and  ex- 
pected to  find  him  here  —  in  the  inner  room.  And 
failing  that,  I  should  have  gone  to  the  moun- 


tains." 


"  The  mountains,"  Tamar  repeated  crossly. 
"  And  why  the  mountains?  " 

"  Because  he  loved  them,  Tamar,"  Nell  said. 
"  He  loved  them  passionately." 

"  Yes,  yes,  he  loved  them,"  Richard  said.  "  He 
talked  a  great  deal  about  them,  and  always  with 
an  intense  yearning,  especially  the  last  evening  he 
was  with  me.  He  had  with  him  an  Alpine  flora 
book  which  we  studied  together." 

"  It  was  my  book,"  Nell  said  involuntarily. 

"  Yours  ?  "  Tamar  said  fiercely.     "  Yours  ?  " 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    349 

"  When  you  sent  him  to  me,"  Nell  said,  "  he 
took  it  away  with  him  as  what  he  called  '  author- 
ized plunder.'  We  spoke  about  the  mountains, 
and  the  mountains  only.  He  said  he  hungered 
for  them,  and  had  been  dreaming  of  the  snow 
peaks  and  the  Alpine  glow.  And  — " 

"  Well,  well,"  Tamar  said  impatiently. 

"  And  I  remember  he  said  that  his  Alpine  heart 
was  in  a  little  village  called  Wassen,  in  or  near 
the  Meienthal,"  Nell  went  on. 

"  He  never  told  me  that,"  Tamar  said  sul- 
lenly. But  she  recovered  herself  at  once  and 
added: 

"  Well,  the  great  point  is  he  told  one  of  us. 
For  I  don't  mind  owning  that  this  is  a  sort  of 
clue." 

"  Instinct  tells  me  that  he  has  gone  to  the  moun- 
tains for  refuge  and  shelter,"  Nell  said;  and  as 
she  spoke  a  vision  rose  before  her  of  Adrian  and 
herself  standing  in  silence  looking  at  that  moun- 
tain picture  and  parting  in  silence. 

"  Yes,"  she  repeated,  "  it's  to  the  mountains  he 
has  gone,  Tamar.  I  feel  increasingly  sure  of  it. 
And  to  that  little  village  he  loved,  with  its  church 
perched  on  the  hill :  '  forsaken  by  the  tourist  and 
scorned  by  the  climbers.'  Those  were  his  very 
words  about  it.  It's  to  little  Wassen  he  has  gone." 

'  That's  the  place  he  described  to  me,"  Richard 
said.  "  I  remember  well  about  the  church.  It's 


350     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

there  that  we  must  go.  I'll  run  round  to  his  home 
first  to  make  inquiries  and  give  the  alarm,  and 
then  we'll  be  off  at  once.  There's  no  time  to  be 
lost.  We  must  follow  him  at  once  before  — " 

"  Before  it  is  too  late,"  Nell  said,  with  bowed 
head. 

"  It  is  too  late,"  Tamar  said  in  a  low  voice. 
"  Don't  you  know  that?  " 

"  No,"  Richard  said  firmly.  "  I  refuse  to  know 
it.  We  shall  find  him  and  reach  out  our  hands  to 
him  —  and  not  in  vain." 

They  did  not  gainsay  him,  for  they  glanced  at 
him,  saw  the  amazing  radiance  on  his  face,  and 
were  kindled  by  the  idealism  of  his  spirit,  of  which 
it  was  the  outward  and  visible  sign. 

That  same  evening  they  started  for  the  moun- 
tains. 


END  OF  PART  I 


PART  II 


PART  II 


CHAPTER  I 

A  CH,  Herrgott,  it's  Herr  Steele  I  "  cried  old 
^•^  Frau  Anderegg,  as  a  carriage  drove  up  to 
the  little  green-shuttered  hotel  in  Wassen. 
"  Frida,  Christian,  Johann,  quick,  quick!  " 

She  shook  Adrian  Steele's  hands  times  without 
number,  interspersing  all  her  remarks  of  welcome 
with  frantic  cries  of  "  Frida,  Christian,  Johann ! 
Quick,  quick!  " 

In  less  than  a  minute  the  whole  family  had 
rallied  round  him  and  borne  him  triumphantly  into 
the  house.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  they  all  loved 
him. 

"  Our  first  visitor,"  they  cried,  "  and  our  most 
welcome  one !  " 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,"  he  said,  his  face 
wreathed  in  smiles.  "  Why,  Frau  Anderegg,  you 
don't  look  a  single  month  older  —  not  a  month. 
But  Frida,  on  the  contrary,  has  grown  up,  in  very 
truth.  Never  did  I  think  she'd  grow  up !  And 
pray,  what  has  she  done  with  her  pigtail?  Ah, 
Johann,  you'll  need  to  have  another  photograph 

353 


354     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

taken  of  you  at  your  carving,  I  plainly  see.  And 
Christian,  dear  old  Christian,  he  looks  broader 
and  stronger  than  ever.  I  might  even  say  hand- 
somer !  But  I  won't !  Upon  my  soul,  Frau  An- 
deregg,  the  grandchildren  do  us  credit  —  don't 
they?  Quite  unexpectedly  too!  Well,  well,  it's 
good  to  be  amongst  you  all  again.  It's  good  to  be 
here!" 

He  stepped  back  impulsively  to  the  door  and 
glanced  round  him,  at  the  dwarf  chestnut  trees 
guarding  the  hotel,  at  the  green  tables  and  green 
seats  and  green  boxes  with  plants.  To  the  left 
the  snow  mountains,  the  Windgelle  graciously  un- 
veiling its  glittering  snow  peak  to  bid  him  wel- 
come. In  front  of  him  the  sweet  pasture  mead- 
ows stretching  down  to  the  edge  of  the  headlong 
river.  Fragrance  from  the  flowers  wafted  from 
all  sides.  Music  from  the  cowbells  mingling  in 
discordant  harmony.  Sunlight  catching  the  win- 
dows of  the  old  brown  chalets  on  the  mountain 
slopes  opposite. 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  "  I  have  always  loved  it!  " 
'  Yes,  yes,  you  have  always  loved  it,"  the  old 
Frau  said,  putting  her  arm  through  his.  "  But 
you  can  look  at  the  mountains  later.  You  must 
come  and  rest  and  eat.  I  can  see  you're  tired. 
But  the  good  air  will  soon  restore  you." 

Then  he  gave  himself  up  to  all  their  affectionate 
care,  and  was  soon  enjoying  a  splendid  meal  of 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    355 

trout,  schnitzel,  and  potatoes,  glorified  by  a  bottle 
of  best  Sassella. 

Meantime  the  news  spread  in  the  village  that 
Herr  Steele  had  come.  It  penetrated  to  the  re- 
cesses of  the  schoolhouse,  exciting  and  delighting 
the  hearts  of  the  teachers,  the  holy  sisters,  Ger- 
trude and  Alusina,  who  forthwith  dispatched  two 
of  the  children  to  the  Meienthal  to  gather  alpen- 
rose. 

"  You  remember,"  they  said  to  each  other,  "  he 
always  liked  the  alpenrose  better  than  any- 
thing." 

"  We  must  invite  him  again  to  beer  and  black 
sausage,"  comely  Schwester  Gertrude  laughed. 
"  Na,  that  was  a  merry  afternoon  when  Christian 
Anderegg  brought  him  to  visit  us." 

"  Yes,"  laughed  little  Schwester  Alusina. 
"  And  do  you  remember  how  he  tried  to  teach  us 
English,  and  we  learnt  to  say,  '  We  beg  your  very 
much  pardon !  Very  much  pardon ! ' 

The  news  was  not  very  long  in  reaching  the 
grocery  store,  where  the  _good  Frau  immediately 
began  to  interview  her  stock  of  chocolate  and 
kropfli  cakes. 

"  He  will  want  a  lot  for  the  children,"  she  said 
with  a  smile,  which  was  a  curious  mixture  of  ten- 
derness and  business.  "  I  must  telephone  at  once 
to  Goeschenen  for  some  more  supplies." 

She  was  not  indiscreet  in  the  precautions  she 


356     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

took,  for  Adrian  Steele  soon  arrived  at  the  shop, 
and  bought  her  out  of  house  and  home. 

"  You  know,  Frau  Bergen,"  he  said,  "  I  have 
always  maintained  that  this  is  a  dangerous  region, 
unless  one  is  well  armed  with  sure  weapons  of 
defense !  " 

Thus  he  settled  down  in  the  little  village,  and 
was  welcomed  by  the  villagers  as  an  old  friend 
whom  they  knew  and  trusted. 

When  he  fled  to  Switzerland,  he  was  guided 
by  no  definite  plan,  except  that  of  reaching  the 
region  which  he  loved.  But  even  on  his  journey, 
dimly  outlined  ideas  began  to  take  form ;  and  that 
first  night,  as  he  lingered  on  the  balcony  of  his 
bedroom,  and  drew  in  long,  deep  breaths  of  the 
invigorating  air,  and  watched  the  stars,  and  lis- 
tened to  the  rushing  of  the  impatient  river,  an 
overwhelming  sense  of  the  finality  of  things  swept 
over  him,  and  he  stood,  even  then,  as  a  man  might 
stand  to  hear  and  receive  his  sentence  of  dismissal. 
But  sheer  bodily  fatigue  intervened,  and  he  slept 
and  rested  dreamlessly. 

In  the  morning  he  was  up  early.  He  took  his 
breakfast  in  front  of  the  hotel,  at  a  little  green 
table  near  the  chestnut  tree  which  had  always  been 
considered  his  special  property,  and  was  always 
fiercely  guarded  for  him  by  the  whole  household. 
He  drank  his  coffee,  greeted  the  villagers  as  they 
passed,  was  introduced  to  Lilie,  Vergissmeinnicht 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    357 

and  Nora,  the  leading  ladies  of  various  companies 
of  cows  changing  their  pasturage,  and  heard  all 
the  news  of  the  family  from  Frida,  Johann,  and 
Christian.  Christian  produced  the  stick  which 
Adrian  had  given  him  some  years  ago,  and  on 
which  Adrian  had  himself  cut  and  burnt  the  words : 
"  Immer  will  ich  Christian  unterstutzen." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  going  off  to  the  Meienthal," 
he  said.  "  Here's  my  stick  for  you.  But  don't 
dare  to  let  anything  happen  to  it.  I  value  it,  I 
can  tell  you." 

'  To  no  other  human  being  on  earth  would 
Christian  lend  it,"  Frida  said,  "  not  even  to  his 
Schatzlein,  Herr  Steele." 

"  I  feel  the  honor  deeply,"  Steele  said,  as  he 
took  the  stick  and  examined  it.  "  Yes,  Christian, 
I  was  always  proud  of  this  performance  of  mine, 
my  one  and  only  achievement  in  carving.  And 
of  course  I'm  off  to  the  Meienthal.  But  I  must 
have  a  look  first  at  the  meadows,  and  see  close 
at  hand  what  the  flowers  are  doing.  They  looked 
lovely  as  I  came  along  yesterday." 

'  You'll  find  the  flowers  rather  behindhand," 
Frida  said.  "  Why,  fancy,  we  had  snow  three 
days  ago.  It's  the  longest  winter  I  ever  remember 
in  my  whole,  whole  life." 

;<  What  a  valuable  record  of  length !  "  Adrian 
remarked,  with  a  smile.  "  Why,  Frida,  you 
might  have  lived  centuries  instead  of  minutes!  " 


35 8     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  All  the  same,  it  is  the  longest,  severest  winter 
we've  had  in  these  parts  for  many  long  years," 
Christian  said,  laughing.  "  And  now  there's  a 
touch  of  Fohnwind.  But  it'll  pass  off.  We  had 
a  threatening  yesterday  and  it  came  to  nothing." 

At  that  moment  the  old  Frau  appeared  on  the 
scenes. 

"  Ah,  you're  off  for  your  favorite  walk,  I  sup- 
pose," she  said.  "  Now  don't  go  too  far,  and 
don't  be  out  too  long.  Such  fearful  long  walks 
you  always  take.  Now  mind,  Herr  Steele,  come 
back  in  good  time." 

They  watched  him  as  he  passed  up  the  village, 
and  waved  to  him.  Then  they  went  back  to  their 
work;  and  he,  climbing  one  of  the  lower  slopes, 
feasted  his  eyes  on  the  jeweled  loveliness  of  the 
flowered  meadows,  and  saw  that  the  forget-me- 
nots  and  ragged  robins  were  richer  than  ever  in 
color,  that  the  cowslips,  pansies  and  daisies  were 
mingling  in  rich  profusion  with  the  grass  of  the 
pastures,  and  that  all  the  varying  shades  of  yellow 
and  purple  contributed  to  a  vision  of  beauty  which 
did  not  fall  short  of  the  ideal  picture  which  haunted 
his  memory. 

He  lingered  there  for  half  an  hour  or  so.  He 
found  it  a  little  difficult  to  leave  the  village  and 
its  immediate  surroundings.  He  loved  all  its  fea- 
tures, its  church,  its  sentinel  mountain,  the  little 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     359 

Windgelle,  its  river,  its  valleys,  yes,  and  its  rail- 
way. He  did  not  think  the  railway  had  spoilt 
it.  It  interested  and  delighted  him  to  watch  the 
trains  toiling  up  the  steep  ascents,  now  disappear- 
ing into  the  seclusion  of  tunnels  when  things  were 
too  much  for  them,  and  now  emerging  triumph- 
antly for  a  while  and  calling  out  with  shrill  shrieks : 
"Hurrah!  another  stage  of  the  journey  done! 
Aren't  we  just  clever?  " 

"  Supposing  I  don't  go  to  the  Meienthal  to- 
day," he  said  to  himself.  "  Supposing  I  stay  here 
to-day." 

But  some  inner  voice  answered: 

'  You  must  not  stay  here.  You  must  go  to  the 
Meienthal." 

He  sighed  and  rose  from  the  bank  where  he 
had  been  resting,  and  started  for  the  Meienthal 
up  the  steep  side  road,  a  bridle  road  only,  to  the 
left  of  the  old  stone  fountain  in  the  center  of  the 
village.  Fidio,  the  baker's  dog,  seldom  allowed 
any  one  to  go  to  the  Meienthal  without  his  com- 
pany, and  having  stretched  himself  and  yawned, 
he  accepted  a  mouthful  of  kropfli,  and  decided  to 
bestow  the  favor  of  his  presence  on  this  stranger. 
Was  he  a  stranger,  though?  Well,  well,  Fidio 
was  getting  old,  and  his  memory  was  beginning  to 
fail  him;  but,  as  he  went  along  over  the  rough 
stones,  forgotten  thoughts  returned  to  him,  and 


360     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

he  waited  for  Adrian  Steele  by  the  first  crucifix  — 
a  quite  unusual  attention  for  him  to  show  to  any 
one  —  and  licked  the  hand  of  his  old  friend. 

"  Ah,  Fidio,"  Adrian  said,  as  he  stooped  down 
and  patted  the  old  dog,  "  many  and  many  a  time 
we've  gone  this  walk  together,  when  you  were 
younger  —  and  I  was  lighter-hearted." 

He  paused  awhile  and  looked  down  at  the  sweet 
scenes  which  he  had  left,  and  then  he  turned  his 
back  on  little  Wassen  and  set  his  face  towards 
the  Sustenhorner,  glimpses  of  which  he  already 
saw  in  the  distance.  They  beckoned  to  him  with 
all  their  white  magic,  and  he  said  aloud:  "/ 
come,  I  come." 

On  he  went,  now  over  an  open  and  grassy  ex- 
panse where  some  cows  were  grazing,  and  where 
he  found,  in  the  person  of  a  small  fair-haired  boy, 
the  first  of  his  chocolate  and  kropfli  clients;  now 
over  rocks  and  stones,  caressed  by  lovely  little 
rills ;  and  now  through  the  thickening  forest  which 
shut  off  the  view  of  the  mountains.  This  was 
the  region  of  the  alpenrose,  and  he  climbed  up 
the  rocks  to  the  left  of  him,  and  gathered  for  him- 
self some  of  this  well-loved  treasure.  It  was  al- 
ready coming  into  bloom,  and  the  sight  of  it  filled 
his  heart  with  tenderest  longings. 

"  My  little  Alpenrose,"  he  cried  in  sudden 
agony.  "Am  I  never  to  see  you  again?  —  oh, 
it  isn't  possible  —  it  isn't  possible  —  it's  an  evil 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     361 

dream  —  it  can't  be  the  truth  —  it  shall  not  be  the 
truth." 

He  threw  himself  down  and  wept,  long  and 
silently.  What  were  the  thoughts  which  over- 
whelmed him?  Remorse  for  what  he  had  done, 
or  regrets  at  having  at  last  to  pay  the  penalty  of 
what  he  had  done?  Who  could  say?  But  when 
he  raised  his  head  after  his  spell  of  bitter  suffering, 
he  saw  an  old  woman  with  her  basket  on  her  bent 
back,  standing  beside  him  and  shaking  her  head 
gravely. 

"Hast  thou  also  lost  some  loved  one?"  she 
said.  "  See,  that  little  cross  on  that  rock  marks 
the  spot  where  my  grandson  met  his  death  this 
winter.  I  look  at  it  as  I  pass,  and  I  weep  always. 
Hast  thou  also  lost  some  loved  one  ?  " 

"  Alas,  my  good  mother,"  Steele  said,  "  I  have 
lost  all  my  loved  ones  —  all." 

"  My  poor  son,"  she  said  pityingly.  "  And 
thou  hast  dropped  all  the  alpenrose  too." 

"  Let  it  lie,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  need  it.  I 
have  no  heart  for  it.  And  so  your  grandson  met 
his  death  here?  " 

1  Yes,"  she  said.  "  It  was  late  at  night  and  he 
had  been  drinking.  But  he  was  a  good  boy :  faith- 
ful and  true." 

It  flashed  through  Adrian  Steele's  mind  that  the 
young  man's  life  and  end  were  to  be  envied.  And 
he  knew  well  that  it  was  the  representative  story 


362     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

of  many  of  the  crosses  and  crucifixes  which  dotted 
the  wild  Meienthal.  Well,  far  better  that  than 
his  own  record  of  sustained  treachery  and  deceit. 

"  Good  mother,"  he  said  gently,  "  be  thankful 
always  that  he  was  faithful  and  true.  That's  what 
matters  most." 

He  slipped  a  franc  piece  into  her  thin  old  hand, 
and  she  bade  him  stand  to  receive  an  old  woman's 
blessing. 

He  stooped  to  pick  up  one  single  sprig  of  the 
alpenrose,  and  passed  on  his  way.  He  glanced  at 
the  carpet  of  anemones,  moss,  ferns,  and  pink- 
flowered  whortleberry  beneath  the  pines  and 
larches,  and  lingered  once  to  look  at  some  golden 
saxifrage  fringing  a  fairy  pool;  but  he  longed  to 
come  out  into  the  open  and  see  the  mountains, 
and  he  hastened  his  steps  and  did  not  rest  until 
the  forest  stood  behind  him,  and  the  mountains 
were  spread  'before  him  in  all  their  entrancing 
loveliness. 

Some  of  the  gloom  lifted  from  his  soul.  The 
play  of  light  and  color,  the  clouds,  the  sunshine, 
the  glittering  snow  peaks,  the  bracing  air,  the 
beauty  of  the  surrounding  scenery  filled  him  with 
rapture. 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  "  it's  good  to  be  alive,  and  in 
this  heavenly  air.  The  cold  crispness  of  the  win- 
ter not  gone.  The  fierce  heat  of  the  summer  not 
come.  The  light  still  soft  and  recalling  mem- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    363 

ories  of  snow-laden  skies.     And  not  so  much  as  a 
thought  of  that  uncompromising  glare." 

He  crossed  a  huge,  dirty-brown  avalanche,  pre- 
ceded by  Fidio,  who  had  darted  on  in  front,  in  or- 
der to  reassure  him  that  there  was  no  danger.  A 
few  yards  higher  up,  he  crossed  the  slender  bridge 
which  seemed  but  a  frail  pathway  over  the  raging, 
tumbling  Meienreuss  beneath. 

"  A  man  might  end  his  life  here,  easily  enough," 
he  thought. 

The  sunshine  was  jeweling  the  snow-white  surf 
of  the  great  waves  with  diamonds  of  finest  water 
—  not  yielding  in  beauty  even  to  the  diamonds 
which  the  sun  shows  us  in  the  glittering  snow 
plains. 

'  Jewels  for  Tamar,"  he  said,  with  a  half  smile. 
"  Priceless  ones,  too." 

As  he  spoke  her  name,  the  thought  of  her  swept 
over  him  with  sudden  overwhelming  force. 

"  Tamar,  Tamar,"  he  cried  in  an  agony  of 
spirit,  "  is  it  true,  must  it  be  true,  that  I  have  to 
leave  you  when  I  have  only  just  found  you  ?  Yes, 
I  know  it's  true,  and  you  know  it  too." 

For  he  realized  with  increasing  clearness  that 
he  had  to  disappear,  for  little  Alpenrose's  sake, 
for  his  wife's  sake,  for  his  own  sake.  Tamar 
would  understand  that  there  was  nothing  else  for 
him  to  do.  She  would  not  think  that  he  had 
again  forsaken  her.  She  would  know.  And  it 


364    OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

dawned  on  him  that  she  had  known  all  along,  and 
that  she  had  been  willing  to  sacrifice  her  money  — 
the  thing  she  valued  most  on  earth  —  in  order  to 
hearten  him  and  thus  delay  the  inevitable  end. 

"  Oh,  my  own  Tamar,"  he  cried  again,  "  am  I 
never  to  see  you  again  to  thank  you  for  this  great 
love  which  I  have  never  deserved,  but  which  is 
mine  all  the  same,  and  which  makes  me  feel  not 
alone  in  this  hour  of  desolation?  " 

On  the  other  side  of  the  river  he  found  two 
little  goat  boys  taking  care  of  a  flock  of  goats, 
some  of  which  were  disporting  themselves  by  the 
waterside,  and  others  were  strolling  on  their  way 
up  the  valley  in  one  long  thin  line:  a  picturesque 
sight  Adrian  had  always  liked  to  see.  One  of  the 
boys  darted  forward  to  greet  him. 

"  I  remember  you,"  he  cried  delightedly.  "  Do 
you  remember  me  ?  Wilhelm,  the  naughtiest  boy 
in  the  school?  " 

Adrian  smiled  at  the  little  eager  face. 

"  I  remember  that  the  holy  sisters  always  said 
Wilhelm  was  the  naughtiest  boy  in  the  school,"  he 
said  with  mock  gravity.  "  Far,  far  too  naughty 
for  chocolate  and  kropfli  I  " 

"  And  you  said  perhaps  the  chocolate  and 
kropfli  would  make  me  better !  "  the  boy  laughed. 

'  Well,  perhaps  it  did,  and  perhaps  it  might 
now,"  Adrian  said,  fumbling  in  his  pocket. 
"Who  knows?" 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    365 

The  boys  danced  gleefully  round  him  as  he  pro- 
duced the  traditional  dainties,  and  were  soon  busy 
munching  them,  and  yodelling  in  between. 

"  If  you  look  hard,"  Wilhelm  said,  wishing  to 
entertain  him,  "  you'll  see  sheep  on  that  big  lawine 
yonder.  That  fell  two  years  ago.  Two  men 
were  killed.  Don't  you  see  the  cross  lower  down? 
I  see  it  distinctly.  It's  near  the  first  sheep.  Do 
you  see  it?  I  don't  want  to  be  killed  by  a  lawine, 
do  you?  A  lot  of  them  this  year  higher  up  on 
the  left.  You'll  notice  them  as  you  go.  Shall  I 
come  and  show  them  to  you?  " 

Adrian  shook  his  head. 

"  I  shall  know  them,"  he  said.  "  Stay  and  mind 
your  goats,  Wilhelm.  Don't  let  them  fall  into 
the  water.  That  one  with  the  white  tuft  is  a  dar- 
ing chap,  isn't  he  ?  Why,  the  dog  has  gone !  Call 
him  back  for  me,  Wilhelm." 

"  Fidio  never  goes  further  than  the  bridge," 
the  boy  answered.  "  No  use  calling  him.  We'll 
call  if  you  like,  but  you'll  see  you  will  have  to  go 
alone." 

They  laughed  as  they  watched  the  old  dog 
quietly  retracing  his  steps,  ignoring  entirely  the 
shouts  which  were  hurled  unsparingly  at  his 
head. 

"  You'll  have  to  go  alone,"  Wilhelm  said.  "  I 
told  you  so." 

'  Yes,"  Adrian  answered,  and  he  took  up  his 


366     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

stick,  nodded  good-by  to  his  companions,  and 
passed  on. 

Wilder  and  wilder  grew  the  country.  The 
trees  on  the  lower  slopes  had  disappeared.  Stone 
and  grass  everywhere.  A  barren  region  decorated 
only  by  brooks  innumerable.  But  always  the  Sus- 
tenhorner  beckoning  with  ever-changing  loveli- 
ness: always  the  magic  of  the  mountains  casting 
its  spell  on  those  to  whom  the  mountains  stand  for 
something  more  than  meets  the  outer  eye. 

Breezes  straight  from  the  glaciers  to  which  he 
was  now  coming  nearer,  were  borne  to  him.  He 
felt  strong  and  invigorated,  ready  for  any  effort 
of  body  or  brain. 

"  Surely  I  have  been  exaggerating  the  danger 
of  my  position,"  he  said.  "  I  begin  to  believe  that 
even  now  I  could  go  back  and  put  everything 
straight.  If  I  can  do  this,  there  is  no  reason  why 
I  should  disappear.  If  I  can  save  my  honor  and 
theirs,  I  have  the  right  to  live.  And  I  want  to 
live.  I  will  live." 

Thus  torn  between  new-born  hope  and  former 
acceptance  of  impending  doom,  he  arrived  at 
Meien.  The  children  were  just  out  from  school, 
and  when  he  saw  them,  his  heart  leapt  out  to  them 
in  tender  kindness,  for  he  thought  at  once  of  his 
own  little  Alpenrose.  He  singled  out  the  little 
girls  nearest  to  her  in  age,  patted  their  heads,  and 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    367 

began  with  them  his  distribution  of  all  his  remain- 
ing chocolate  and  kropfli.  Out  came  the  school- 
mistress to  welcome  him,  and  he  stood  with  her 
amidst  the  group  of  happy,  excited  little  ones, 
talking  to  them,  laughing  with  them  as  only  one 
who  loved  children  could  possibly  do. 

"  And  your  own  little  girl  whom  you  called 
Alpenrose?"  the  schoolmistress  asked.  "You 
know  you  promised  to  bring  her  one  day." 

"  Ah,"  he  said,  turning  away,  "  I  shall  never 
bring  her  now.  I  have  lost  her." 

The  words  escaped  him  before  he  knew,  and 
the  sound  of  them  echoed  back  to  him  as  a  final 
answer  to  the  new-born  hope.  It  died  forthwith. 
"Come  and  rest  in  my  house,"  the  schoolmis- 
tress said  gently.  She  saw  the  change  of  expres- 
sion on  his  face,  and  knew  that  the  memory  of  his 
great  sorrow  had  struck  at  his  heart. 

But  he  pointed  to  the  little  church,  and  she 
nodded  her  head,  dispersed  the  children  with  a 
wave  of  her  hand,  and  held  the  church  door  open 
for  him  to  enter.  Then  she  left  him,  as  she 
thought,  to  mourn  his  little  dead  child.  He  sat 
there  and  mourned,  not  Alpenrose,  but  his  own 
dead  self  —  that  dead  self  which  had  once  had  a 
fair  name,  a  clear  record,  and  fine  ideals  and 
ambitions. 

Alas  for  one's  dead  self  —  alas  for  the  flaws  in 


368     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

one's  nature  which  were  the  cause  of  the  wreck. 

"  The  wreck,"  he  said  aloud. 

The  word  brought  back  the  remembrance  of 
that  line  of  Browning's  which  he  had  urged 
Richard  Forest  to  illustrate.  He  spoke  it  in  a 
whisper. 

"  Out  of  the  wreck  I  rise,  past  Zeus,  to  the 
Potency  o'er  him." 

And  what  had  Richard  Forest  said?  Adrian 
spoke  that  in  a  whisper  too. 

"  People  don't  go  under.  They  rise  out  of  the 
wreck,  somehow." 

He  saw  Richard's  face  before  him. 

He  heard  his  voice.  He  felt  his  healing  pres- 
ence. 

When  he  rose,  he  stood  for  a  moment  with 
bowed  head,  and  said: 

"  John  Noble,  I  ask  your  forgiveness." 

He  had  reached  the  door  of  the  church  when 
he  heard  the  children's  cries  and  the  sound  of 
their  laughter.  He  waited  until  the  school  bell 
rang,  and  they  were  safely  in  school  again.  He 
had  not  the  courage  to  encounter  them  a  second 
time. 

He  called  at  the  Alpenrosli  Inn,  where  he  had 
always  been  wont  to  have  his  cup  of  coffee  and 
his  chat  with  old  Sebastian  Ogi  and  his  wife,  who 
had  lived  there  many  years.  In  former  years, 
long  since  past,  Sebastian  had  been  a  guide,  until 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    369 

an  accident  had  crippled  him  for  life.  But  he 
was  not  too  old  nor  too  frail  to  know  the  signs 
of  the  weather,  and  he  told  Adrian  Steele  that 
they  were  in  for  a  sudden  change,  and  that  he  be- 
lieved there  would  yet  be  a  whole  crop  of  ava- 
lanches in  the  district. 

'  You  see,"  he  explained,  "  we've  had  very  late 
snow  this  year.  It's  the  latest  and  heaviest 
winter  that  I  remember  for  years.  Think  of  it, 
the  Furka  Pass  not  open  yet.  And  now,  with  the 
Fohnwind  coming,  things  will  happen,  I  tell  you." 

"  Ach,  Herr  Steele  then  you  will  not  go  far," 
the  old  woman  said  as  she  poured  him  out  another 
cup  of  coffee. 

"  No,  I'll  not  go  far;  not  too  far,"  Adrian 
answered,  smiling  at  her. 

"  Oh,  you'll  be  able  to  go  a  good  step  yet," 
Sebastian  said.  "  No  danger  for  a  long  way  yet. 
But  if  you  get  as  far,  don't  branch  off  to  the 
Kalchthal,  for  instance.  I  wouldn't  answer  for 
you  there.  The  Stiicklistock  and  the  Hintere 
Sustenhorn  are  very  generous  with  their  lawinen 
there." 

"  I'll  remember,"  Adrian  said,  and  he  asked  a 
few  questions  about  the  winter  months,  and  learnt 
a  great  deal  he  had  never  known  about  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  avalanches.  It  struck  him  as  he 
listened,  how  strange  it  was  that  he  should  care 
to  add  to  his  knowledge  now,  at  this  juncture. 


370     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

"  Habit,  I  suppose,"  he  thought.  "  I  have 
always  craved  to  know.  Well,  I  could  write  a 
very  creditable  paragraph  or  two  now  on  the  dif- 
ference between  Staub,  Schlag,  and  Grund  Law- 
inen.  I  see  I  have  never  properly  distinguished 
them  before.  It's  a  good  thing  to  have  them 
clear  in  one's  mind,  even  at  the  eleventh  hour. 
I  wonder  whether  Nell  has  them  clear.  Prob- 
ably. There  is  nothing  about  the  mountains  that 
she  does  not  know." 

As  he  thought  of  Nell,  it  passed  through  his 
mind  that  she  would  be  the  only  one  who  would 
guess  that  he  had  gone  to  the  mountains.  Many 
and  many  a  time  he  had  told  her,  half  in  jest  and 
half  in  earnest,  that  it  would  be  his  wish  to  die 
in  the  snow  mountains,  to  the  sound  of  Chopin's 
Nocturne  in  C  minor.  Yes,  Nell  would  know. 
And  she  would  know  that  he  had  come  to  Was- 
sen,  for  he  remembered  now  that  he  had  spoken 
of  it  to  her  as  the  home  of  his  Alpine  heart.  He 
rose  instantly,  impelled  by  a  new  fear. 

"  I  must  hasten  on,"  he  said  to  himself. 
1  There  is  no  time  to  lose." 

"  Not  the  Kalchthal,  remember!  "  the  old  Frau 
called  after  him. 

'  Turn  back  at  Farnigen,  or  stay  there,  if  they 
tell  you  to,"  Sebastian  Ogi  said. 

He  nodded,  smiled  at  them  cheerfully,  waved 
his  hand,  and  went  on  his  way. 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    371 

Now  he  was  getting  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
mountains.  They  were  becoming  more  en- 
trancing too,  because  more  elusive.  Thick  gray 
clouds,  the  color  of  a  dove's  breast,  tore  across 
them,  now  obscuring  them  altogether,  and  now 
leaving  them  free  to  reveal  themselves  in  mo- 
mentary visions  of  splendor.  These  lovely 
glimpses  of  them  filled  Adrian's  heart  with  added 
love  and  longing,  and  again  he  said:  "/  come, 
I  come!  " 

He  passed  through  Farnigen  without  stopping 
or  making  any  inquiries  about  the  changes  and 
chances  of  the  weather.  He  knew  for  himself 
now  that  the  Fohnwind  was  doing  its  appointed 
work  on  the  mass  of  accumulated  snow  suspended 
in  high  stations. 

"  My  poor  Grace,"  he  said,  "  when  you  hear 
my  history,  you  will  thank  the  Fohnwind  as  I 
thank  it.  A  mantle,  Grace,  that's  what  it  will 
prove  to  be  —  for  you  —  for  me  —  for  Alpen- 
rose." 

Ah,  there  were  gentians  at  last,  the  little  ones, 
with  the  white  star  eyes.  What  a  glad  sight! 
What  a  pity  that  the  spring  was  so  late!  Such 
a  handful  of  flowers,  and  yet  how  sweet  to  see 
them  singly,  each  of  them  harbingers  of  the  wait- 
ing myriads.  And  now,  higher  up,  patches  of 
snow  on  the  green  pastures,  encircled  by  tiaras 
of  white  and  purple  crocuses.  Well,  well,  that 


372     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

alone  was  worth  coming  to  see !  Which  was  the 
whiter,  the  snow  or  the  crocus?  Ah,  and  here 
was  snow  surrounded  by  yellow  flowers.  What 
were  those  yellow  flowers?  He  ought  to  know. 
Aha,  a  soldanella !  He  stooped  down  and 
picked  it. 

Then  he  looked  back  for  the  first  time,  and  saw 
that  he  had  come  a  long  way.  How  far  off 
everything  seemed.  How  like  a  dream  every- 
thing seemed  to  him  in  the  life  he  had  left.  How 
detached  he  had  become  from  time  and  space 
and  circumstance.  How  the  relativities  had 
changed.  How  far  away  he  had  journeyed  from 
every  one  —  except  Tamar.  A  smile  of  infinite 
tenderness  came  over  his  face. 

"  Tamar,  Tamar,"  he  called  aloud.  !t  I'm 
calling  to  you." 

He  stood  and  waited  until  the  last  echo  of  the 
words  had  died  into  silence,  and  with  it  the  last 
yearning  of  his  heart. 

He  pressed  on. 

Death.  Well,  why  not  death?  Fear  of 
death  ?  Certainly  and  absolutely  not.  The  fear 
of  death  had  been  manufactured  and  fostered  by 
the  priests  for  their  own  purposes  of  power,  as 
scares  were  manufactured  and  fostered  by  the 
press.  No,  not  fear,  but  wonderment,  intense 
curiosity,  the  thrill  of  new  experience,  the  joy  and 
pride  of  fresh  knowledge.  The  personal  dis- 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE    373 

covery  by  oneself,  alone,  unaided,  of  a  country 
about  which  there  had  been  no  authentic  informa- 
tion. Imagine  that.  Surmises  of  every  dif- 
ferentiation: theological,  philosophical,  ethical, 
scientific,  spiritual  —  but  only  surmises. 

And  now  he  was  going  to  know. 

So  with  his  face  set  towards  the  mountains,  now 
revealing  themselves,  now  concealing  themselves, 
Adrian  Steele  went  forward. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  hours  went  by,  and  Adrian  Steele  did 
not  return  to  Wassen.  All  the  family 
Anderegg  were  a  little  worried,  for  the  Fohn- 
wind  had  been  blowing  hard  and  strong,  and  the 
inhabitants  knew  well  that,  as  Sebastian  Ogi  had 
said  at  Meien,  things  would  happen.  But  they 
did  not  become  definitely  anxious  until  the  post- 
man arrived  from  Meien  and  brought  the  news 
that  the  avalanches  were  falling,  and  that  the  Sus- 
ten  Pass  was  said  to  be  blocked.  He  himself  had 
heard  from  the  schoolmistress  that  Herr  Steele 
had  been  at  Meien,  but  more  than  that  he  did 
not  know.  They  telephoned  at  once  to  Meien, 
and  learnt  that  he  had  not  come  back  there. 
They  communicated  with  Farnigen,  and  were  told 
that  Johann  Aimer,  the  woodcutter,  had  noticed 
a  stranger  gathering  flowers  about  half  a  kilo- 
meter from  the  hamlet.  The  people  of  the  Stein 
Alp  Hotel,  at  the  foot  of  the  huge  Stein  Glacier, 
in  answer  to  inquiries,  said  that  he  was  not  there. 
Night  came,  and  he  had  not  returned.  Old 
Frau  Anderegg  wept  silently.  Frida  sobbed 
without  ceasing.  Johann  could  not  settle  to  his 

374 


OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE     375 

carving.  Christian  went  about  with  strained  face. 
A  search  party  was  arranged,  and  as  soon  as  it 
was  light  in  the  morning  they  started  off  on  their 
journey. 

They  searched  for  the  whole  day,  and  found 
no  trace  of  him.  He  seemed  to  have  disappeared 
off  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Then  Sebastian  Ogi  said: 

"  Try  the  Kalchthal.  We  warned  him  not  to 
go  there,  but  he  was  always  a  daring  one,  and  he 
liked  that  wild  part.  He  came  down  that  way 
once  from  the  Sustenjoch." 

They  went  there,  and  high  up  in  the  valley  they 
found  a  huge  avalanche,  freshly  fallen.  The 
white  monster  lay  across  the  track,  with  its  head 
resting  on  the  rising  ground  on  the  other  side  of 
the  track.  In  its  passage,  it  had  mown  off  groups 
of  firs  and  larches,  and  their  trunks  could  be  seen 
scattered  pell-mell  amongst  the  rocks  and  ice.  It 
was  extraordinarily  thick,  and  its  size  alone 
baffled  all  their  attempts  to  make  a  successful 
search. 

"  Even  if  he  is  here,  we  shan't  find  him  now," 
Peter  Miiller  said.  "  We  must  leave  him." 

So  they  gave  up  the  impossible  task,  reluctantly, 
but  wisely,  for  they  had  discovered  no  clue  to 
help  and  guide  them. 

But  Christian  Anderegg  was  not  satisfied,  and 
the  next  morning,  without  saying  a  word  to  any 


376     OUT  OF  THE  WRECK  I  RISE 

one,  he  returned  alone  to  the  avalanche;  and  con- 
siderably higher  up,  on  a  boulder,  hurled  there  no 
doubt  in  fury  by  the  blast,  he  saw  his  stick  — 
"  Immer  will  ich  Christian  unterstiitzen."  He 
seized  it  and  brought  it  home.  He  could  not 
speak  when  he  showed  it  to  them. 

They  knew  then  for  certain  that  Adrian  Steele 
lay  there,  somewhere,  entombed  beneath  that 
white  impenetrable  mass. 

"  We  shall  find  him  in  September,"  the  old 
guide  said. 


THE   END 


